The Warlord
by amaris12345
Summary: Who is Jasper Whitlock? He is one of the world's most feared warlord. What does he want from his fake life with the Cullens? He wants power and he wants his mate, and he will do anything to get what he wants.
1. Chapter 1

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Mayer

Chapter 1

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper Whitlock .P.O.V

She was mine. She was born to be mine, to belong to me. I knew it from the first time I laid my eyes on her. Her body her soul and her mind were mine.

But before I could make her mine Edward, my adopted brother, decided that just because her blood called to him and her mind was silent to his talent, that she was his and made his move on her.

To say that I was pissed off was an understatement, I could have killed him then but Peter advised me against it saying that he would be very useful in the future. That guy just knew things, he was like an all knowing bastard ever since his change, and I always trusted him and his loyalty towards me. So, I made the Cullen's believe that the attraction I had for her was due to my bloodlust and well, she did smell so good, and I lusted so much for her, she was just so beautiful.

And the incredible part is that they bought it, they believed me and they kept her away from me, which made things easier for me to gain my control. Peter once again proved to be right when that bastard, James, tried to get what was mine.

We had to run away and hide her but being so close to her in the same room for days, was such a sweet torture. I was so aroused all the time; my craving for her was so intense that I thought I would explode. I managed not to touch her but I need release badly, and so I turned for the next available thing in there with me, my wife Alice who was called to satisfy my sexual needs whenever Bella slept or was out of the room.

When she escaped me in the airport, all I could think was that I was going to kill them, all of them if anything happened to her and that if she survived, one day she would pay for running away from me and for putting herself in danger.

When we found her I thought I was going to die right there and then I thought she was dead and that made my anger reach peaks I had not let anyone feel after the wars. My inner warrior came out, and all I saw was red, _Bella, Bella, Bella, _chanting in my head while I ripped the bastard apart and set him on fire for what he had done to my mate. I knew Carlisle was with her, and when I heard her scream from the pain I knew she would live. Only then my bloodlust rose. I listened to Carlisle tell Edward that if he didn't want her to change he would have to suck the poison out of her system. I felt Edward's indecision and fear and I sent him all the determination and strength I had in me. He managed to do it and sucked the poison out of her.

I was glad that he had the strength to do it because in my frenzy of war and destruction and with so much of her delicious blood spilled, I don't know if I could have done it myself without killing her. And I was very glad that Edward didn't want her vampire. Because one thing I knew for sure, no other venom but mine would curse through her, no other male would make that bond with her my mate but me. It would be me to kill her and to bring her to her new life as an immortal and as my wife and my mate.

And the time to be with her would come soon, I just had to wait a few more months, Peter had assured me of that, and I would be prepared to make her mine.

Unfortunately, the direct consequence of this incident was that I had to back off and watch him with her. I had to see them together, feel their feelings and watch him touch her, kiss her, hold in his arms what was mine, and still keep my distance, hide my feelings and thoughts, my resolve and my plans for the future, and most off all, I had to hide my anger and hate towards that stupid creature that I had to call brother, and from the annoying but useful woman I called wife. The only thing that made this torture bearable was that from my ability to feel their emotions, I saw that Edward's sense of morality, his fear and his self-loathing made him incapable of having much more than an almost platonic relation with my soon to be mate, and that she would continue to be pure and untouched.

His Victorian sense of morality, my careful manipulation of his emotions, and his hate towards his own kind and ultimately against himself, his certainty on the damnation of her soul in case he turned her, even if she wanted it, made him make mistakes after mistakes in their relationship.

Mistakes that I encouraged whenever I could, and from witch I took advantage and that allowed me to be closer to her, to start slowly to change her perception and feelings for me. I was able to make her feel more comfortable in my company. And the best part of this was that I did all that with the approval of my dear all knowing wife, and the blessing of the rest of the family that thought I was building my tolerance to my "little sister's blood" in order to make her integration to the family easier, and in doing so giving the necessary steps to leave once and for all the hold that the bloodlust that came from my past had ob me.

The Cullen's knew my story, the story of my horrible upbringing and past, but they only knew a part of it. I only allowed them to know the part that both I and Alice told them when we first arrived that we wanted to try their diet and live peacefully their way of life, and that I regretted my horrible past. We hid most of it so that it would not cause problems to our integration in the family and also not to scare them to death. They had no idea of who I really was, how dangerous and powerful I really was, how in control I was and what my real plans were.

I was an old vampire, trained for war and battle with more than 100 years of service, in both human and vampire army's, I was the sire of thousands, feared by any vampire who heard my name, Jasper Whitlock.

We were welcomed easily in the family, eager as they were to conquer new vampires into their life style and soon we learned how to block Edwards's talent and keep our private life, ours, so that our plans would go smoothly. For me, it was almost laughable, that they thought that I struggled with my thirst for human blood more than any of them, and it really amused me their efforts to teach me control. It was a conscientious decision on my part, to join them and their way of life because it was a necessary thing for the accomplishment of my plans. If there is anything that I am is disciplined. I need to be close to humans without killing them, I needed to learn to interact with them in their society and I need to learn all that I could about their science, art and technology.

Being a vampire meant that we were engrossed in our own world and with our own sense of the passage of time, and we often forgot that humans evolved quickly, and that we had to adapt to that mental and technological evolution, or else one day we would find ourselves in danger as a specie. This danger was long foreseen, and the Volturi decided to take steps in order to prevent it. I was one of the chosen, to go on to the human world and learn all that I could. All the knowledge acquired would be then passed on to the Volturi so that they could organize more effectively the vampire race. And my end of the deal was that I would rule North and South America in their name, under their law and be the general of their guard in this continent.


	2. Chapter 2

I owe nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Mayer

Chapter 2

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper Whitlock .P.O.V

It took us more than 50 years to learn all we needed and the Volturi did put all that knowledge to good use. They became even more powerful and influential. But with that new knowledge we gathered and shared, came an even bigger need for order, discipline and secrecy for our race. We realized that because human technology had advanced so much they could effectively and physically harm us for the first time in history. At the same time we came to the conclusion that the need to control the members of our own kind had become a matter of primal importance.

We could not reproduce ourselves but we could turn humans, and that happened more often than it was necessary. The accidents and consequent almost exposures were a danger to our policy of secrecy and to our safety. Uneducated and undisciplined vampires were a problem for these modern times, where the television reached everyone and the news travelled fast all over the world.

Our old beliefs in our superiority, in our nature as a predator made us reckless. Capable of everything, and drunk with the power that came with the superior speed, intelligence and strength, any vampire with a minimum of discipline and control, would start to try to claim territory for himself in order to have plenty of feeding grounds. With this greed usually ugly fights erupted, either with passing nomads or with already established vampires and armies were created and destroyed in terrible battles. The disappearing of people in nearby places created suspicions in the human populations and authorities about what was going on, and our race was often at the risk of exposure.

The Volturi could not be everywhere, and so 5 of us were chosen, 5 fierce warriors, recruited to represent each of the 5 continents, for our skills, intelligence and loyalty to the race, to apply the Volturi law and protect the secret, we were sent to learn, to make contacts, to help take the vampire race into the next millennium, that was fast approaching.

Our first goal had been achieved. The humans thought that our kind and all of the other supernatural species were a myth, folklore and legends that survived from darker times, long before reason and science started to explain the mysteries of this world. And all those who thought those legends to be true, were considered ignorant, people not to be taken seriously by any educated mind.

Vampires became, all over the world, the icon of everything that was forbidden and dangerous. We incarnated the power and the seduction of sexuality; we became the central characters of best seller's books and movies, the fantasies of their dreams of their nightmares and of their desires.

Living with the Cullen's all those years, the life of a lamb eating nothing but animals had been a torture. Years of endless schools and mindless teenagers, of denial of myself, of my natural prey and instincts, took a big toll on me. My ability and my beast thrived in the conflict, in war and in the complexity of the emotions of those who surrounded me, and in this life I had nothing of that.

So I became even more distant and withdraw, and had frequent what they called slip ups in the diet. They always forgave me, blaming it on my poor control, and tried to help me, but this slip ups were needed for me to maintain my strength. They were deliberate, and honestly, they were needed to prevent me from going insane, if that was even possible for a vampire.

So, in order to not alarm the family, I went often in long vacations, were I could indulge myself in satiating my inner beast with fights and blood, sometimes in the company of my appointed wife.

Those extended vacations served also the purpose of meeting and transferring the newly acquired knowledge's to the Volturi, inform them of my progress and gather information useful for our plans. Occasionally I went with the Volturi guard in search of rogue vampires or rebel covens.

Alice. She was the center of a conflict within me, one side of me liked her, she was after all chosen to be my wife, my companion for same decades and she was devoted to me, loyal, and submissive enough to please me.

But she was not my true mate; I knew it from the beginning. I had not felt the mating pull to her, not the pull we feel for our true mate, the pull that makes our beast roar in anticipation and purr in delight in her presence, the pull that makes the man in us hard just by thinking of her. So, I often had to fight against my inner monster which just wanted to rip her apart when she became too annoying and demanding.

My mate was not yet born when I met Alice, under Volturi instructions in Philadelphia, and would not be alive for another 50 years. So I kept her. I would not go half a century without a woman, hell no, me and my beast were, in that department very red blooded and horny, and she suited our needs very well.

Alice knew we were not meant to be together, but she fell in love with me and was fiercely possessive. I tolerated that, as long as she didn't break my rules and behave herself as I wanted, treating me with the respect that I was entitled. I just let her be, and I had no intentions of leaving her, even after I found my mate. Her gift was too powerful for her to be out of my and the Volturi control. She would never be free; I would see to that, she would never be able to leave us.

Her feelings were easily played just like all the others and her love for me, allied to my dominant and possessive personality, and a few, but well applied punishments soon took from her mind any thought of independence or betrayal. Her gift was as easily played as her, I just didn't decided anything, that could alert her.

So for more than 50 years I waited, planed, and played my part in the bigger plan traced by the Volturi. I prepared and trained my allies and my guard, and set the base for my future domain. But I had stayed living with the Cullen's since Peter knew that my mate's path would cross with them. And I would be there, waiting for her. With her arrival my time as a lamb would be over.

When she finally came to me, I thought that I was going to go on a rampage and kill the whole school just to get to her. My monster was trying to break free and claim what was his. I couldn't take my eyes of her, not even Alice knew how she looked like, or even what her name was, or her importance to me.

But as I laid my eyes on her I just knew it, the waiting was over, she was every one of my dreams came true.

It took all that I had not to take her there in the middle of the school, in front of all the other children and my family, to not throw her on the floor and to have my way with her. I have never been harder in my life; the venom in my mouth was so much that I thought that I was drooling. My hands were grabbing my knees hard to prevent me from getting up and grab her. I had only two thoughts in my head, _Mine, Claim her, Mine, Mine, Claim her_. Thankfully my reaction to her was not perceived by the other family members.

Isabella was beautiful, with a body that was made to please me, everything in the right place and size. Nice round firm breasts, slim waist, and long legs made to be wrapped around me, an ass that had the perfect shape for my hands. She was made for me and my only, her face so pale and flawless with those big eyes that were so innocent and deep. Her lips were full and rosy, so kissable, and she had long, long brown hair, the perfect length for me to hold on while taking her from behind. And her smell, oh my, that was going to be a problem, it was so good, so appealing, my thirst was burning my throat and I knew I had to take my time to came closer to her. It did not help either that the mating call was hitting me full force. I was literally almost shaking with the strength needed to control myself.

It was good that none of them had any ideas of eating her, if they even thought about going for it, I would rip them apart, without even a second thought, that nectar was for me only.

She was delicious, beautiful, apparently shy and modest enough to please me, after all I came from a time when woman were more modest and shy, knew their place in life and in a couple, and I liked that in my girls.

She also seemed to have a gift of some kind, I just knew it, Edward could not read her thoughts and was trying furiously, since he didn't even acknowledge my lustful thought's over my soon to be woman, and Alice while sensing my agitation was trying to look into the future but, by the look in her face, and the emotions she was displaying, irritation, curiosity, fear, was not able to get a clear reading, she just got glimpses. _Fantastic._ My mate could be a shield of some kind. Once she was turned I would have Eleazar take a look at her and tell me what he thought. She was just perfect. My Isabella. Mine.

**Author's note: This story is the first installment of a series of intertwined stories that will tell the life and destiny of the Warlord Jasper Whitlock. That's why this first one is called, The Warlord's Mate. Thank you, to all of you that asked. As for its time frame, I have situated it at the end of the first book, right after the prom and before the birthday party.**


	3. Chapter 3

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Mayer

I would like to thank to every one of you that read and reviewed my story, and to all of those who put my story on their favorites and alerts. Thank you very much, you are the best. I also would like to thanks to the wonderful girls of the **Darkest Temptations**, for the rec'd of my story in their blog.

Chapter 3

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper Whitlock .P.O.V

I was taken out of my musings over the past 50 years, by the noise of a car parking in the garage of the house followed by the monstrous roar of a 1950 truck, Isabella's red monster. I loved that beast, and so did Isabella, which in turn made Edward frown like a child every time we talked about it and how much personality it had.

It was a brilliant, sunny and warm day of late July, and since she was in summer vacations Isabella spent almost all of her days here with us to my delight, pleasure and pain; yeap, what can I say I am a sick and masochist bastard, but I prefer to have my enemy close and my soon to be lover even closer, where I can keep an eye on them and prevent things between them from going too far.

The family was scattered, Emmet and Rosalie were in their room, Alice was somewhere around the house, moping because last night I had to make her remember what was her role in my plans, and I had to make her understand that she is not to deny me anything. Esme and Carlisle were out for the weekend. And within a day Peter and Charlotte would be arriving in Forks to spend some days with us. This was the final part of my plan, having them both here with me, finally meeting my Isabella; soon they would be her family too.

Isabella had healed well from the James incident and was fully recovered, at least on a physical level, but Edward was still immensely protective of her careful and controlling, and to say that all of that hovering pissed her off was an understatement. In reality it was the cause of innumerous arguments between them lately.

I extended my capacity to feel their emotions and at the same time put my mental block in place; I need to know their feelings, but had to hide my thoughts in order to continue with my plan. The first feeling to reach me was anger, coming from Isabella and, _huummmm_, directed at Edward, followed by irritation, exasperation and boredom. This was almost too easy for me, like taking candy from a child. They were fighting again and I knew what about, I had "innocently" caused the reason. I chuckled at the thought, as I made my way downstairs, to great my woman. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs watching them.

"Isabella, please, you must be reasonable. I only want what's good for you, I don't want to upset you, I love you" Edward whined, trying to hold her hands and keep her from storming away from him. His emotions were a mixture of determination, fear of upsetting her, irritation at her stubbornness and worry.

"Edward, please stop that, since when did you became my father? You are my boyfriend, not my caretaker, I am a grown woman and I have been taking care of myself and others since I can remember. I don't need my boyfriend to control my life and tell me what I can or not do, where to go and with whom," she glared at him, and her anger was delicious. I could stay here and feel it for the rest of the day but I needed to intervene quickly, and take advantage of another mistake of my brother. The game was on; it was obvious that the argument had started earlier, in her house, and with my "help" it would only escalate. I decided to make myself known to her and ignored Edward.

"Hi darling, how are you? Did you come to spend the day?" I spoke softly and flashed a smile I used to attract my human prey. I had noticed that every time I let my accent slip together with this smile, she reacted in a most delicious way, her heart beat would pick up and she used to look at me dazzled.

She did not fail me this time, taking a step towards me and looking at me trough her eyelashes, a wonderful blush all over her face. I noticed what she was wearing; a blood red tank top and tiny white shorts that showed miles of her legs. _Hell yeah, I want this woman_. I just have to wait a few more days until she is mine for good.

"Hi, Jasper, I'm fine thanks and …" she looked at me with a beautiful smile on her face, but Edward didn't let her finish as he grabbed her hand forcefully and turned her to face him. I growled low in my chest hardly controlling myself and thought to him.

"_What the hell, Edward, behave yourself, that's not a way to treat a woman, and she is even more pissed at you now, than she was when she arrived, fuck man, get a grip on yourself"_ and I sent him a sample of the anger and irritation that she was feeling.

His eyes widened slightly and I smirked at him"_I told you so, Edward, you are screwing things up with her, you will end up losing her and another men may take her from you for good"._ Knowing that this would only upset him more I continued with my all knowing smirk, Peter's influence, and added unnoticed to him a small dose of insecurity and worry. He started growling at me uneasy with the feelings and I just continued to stare at him. Before we could continue our exchange Isabella spoke, glaring at him and with even stronger feelings of anger and exasperation emanating from her like a beacon.

"Stop it Edward, don't be rude. Jasper has nothing to do with our problems and I will not allow you to act in this manner towards your own brother, who did nothing to us but say hello to me, please step back. I cannot argue with you anymore. Frankly, sometimes I just think we are not worth it," She sighed and looked at me, a wonderful blush spreading and a soft smile in her lips as she revived the memory of our first real conversation, our first bonding time while hiding from James. If my heart had been beating it would have stopped because from her I felt a strong burst of affection and _was that longing_?

Could it be possible that all the months of careful manipulation of her feelings, so that she could realize the truth about us and about Edward, finally were breaking through to her? I could not dwell on that thought. I would not allow Edward to notice it so I stored it for later. I made an effort to concentrate on this discussion. Things were worst between them than I thought if she was telling him in front of me, that maybe their relation wasn't worth the effort.

Edward looked like he had been hit by a truck. His face showed all the shock and incredulity at what was happening. His emotions were all over the place as the understanding of Isabella's words sunk deep within him. He radiated strong waves of regret and fear; I could bet that he regretted upsetting her and was fearful that since she was so stubborn, one day she would just leave him. Lately he had been feeling like that a lot, courtesy of my manipulation of his feelings. I could see that he was about to give in to her and I had to strengthen his resolve in remaining unchanged from his point of view so that they just continued to argue even more. Slowly, I sent him feelings of stubbornness and confidence and I felt his resolve strengthen. He didn't even realize that he was being played. Nothing new to me, I had been playing his feelings and emotions for the last 50 Years.

"Isabella, please don't say that. Of course we are worth it. You don't mean that, you are too young, I love you, but you are being irrational, you just don't understand…" he couldn't even finish before Isabella jumped and yelled in his face.

"I'AM NOT A CHILD, I'AM NOT STUPID, AND I DON'T NEED YOU TO TREAT ME LIKE AN INCOMPETENT, STOP THIS SHIT, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO ABOUT MY AGE, WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" this was priceless, even the noise coming from Rose and Emmet's room ceased, and that was a feat in itself. Isabella was seething magnificent in her rage.

I had never laid my eyes on anything more beautiful, and it was difficult for me to control myself and my emotions and not to grab her and kiss her senseless. But I had a role to play and a game to win.

Looking at Isabella, I gave her a sad smile and with a sigh told them in a low voice.

"Hummm, I think its better if take my leave. You obviously have things to discuss and I don't want to cause discomfort to anyone. I better leave you alone, we will talk later Isabella, Edward" I said, while giving her with my best worrying and pained eyes, _hell, what an actor I could have been_! I flooded the room with sadness and from the corner of my eye I saw Edward glaring at me. He hated not being able to read my thoughts when Isabella was around.

We had never been good friends, less even brothers. He was a good kid, had a good heart, but with his ability came also a certain arrogance that made him often think that he knew all about life and people. We get along well, never too close but without problems.

I always could feel that he was weary of me, even after all this years. But when he tried to take what was mine, what I loved, what I have been waiting for one and a half century now, he became my enemy, an obstacle to destroy. He didn't stand a chance against me and in the end I didn't care if he would spend eternity alone. Isabella was mine, even Marcus had said so.

"No Jasper, please don't go. Your actions caused this problem between me and Isabella, not directly, but it is still your fault" Edward said, looking at me, his expression hard. His eyes were trying to penetrate my soul, _poor child_, but, at the same time his all stance was pleading, pleading for help. My help. Sorry, but no. I did my best to sound surprised.

"Me?" I asked, my eyes wide, my face serious and stern_, yes, bring the Oscar._ "Did I do anything to cause an argument between the two of you? How? When?" I looked at both of them my eyes showing innocence and pain, and then to Alice, who by now had come into the living room standing next to the stairs, her expression unreadable but with her emotions all over the place.

Her vision on everything concerning Isabella was always blurry and confusing at best. But, I knew her so well that I just sensed that she knew something, and she was not happy about it. Maybe I slipped something, somehow. It was not good. And more important, I had not been informed but I could tell she was blocking Edward also. _Good._

Isabella jumped again on Edward, her face filled with anger and disgust. Oh, how I liked to see her defending me, such devotion already, directed at me. Those were already the feelings of a female mate, she was not aware of that because she was still human.

"How can you say that, are you insane? Jasper has nothing to do with this, all he wanted was to bring his brother and sister to meet me, and spend time with him. It's my will to meet them, I want to do this. Stop thinking you know what's best for me, Edward, they would never hurt me Jasper and the family would never allow it."Her tone was hard, and her eyes were boring a hole in his face. My unbeating heart was actually the size of a watermelon swollen with my love for my mate. He gave no sign that he heard her, not surprising, since I was still feeding him the same emotions.

"Yes, you did Jasper." He told me, rage, determination and worry flowing from him like a river.

"Why did you invite Peter and Charlotte, two human drinkers to come here to Forks, to stay in our house, when you know Isabella spends all of her time here? And you decided to tell her that they came to know her. You know it's not safe for her to be near them, they may lose control and hurt her. You know she is stubborn and that she would want to meet them, what were you thinking? "By the end of his rant, there was desperation in his voice, and he was clenching his fist at his sides.

I had no pity for him, he had what was mine and he was a weak, pathetic creature, which could not even control his human girlfriend, just because she was stubborn. The day Isabella accepts me as her mate, will be the day that she, like all the females in our world will understand that we males are in charge in a normal vampire society, that she has to obey me without question.

"Edward" I spoke to him, with a soft, calming voice, talking to him like I would talk to a child, making sure that Isabella could see who the real man in here was.

"I never meant to cause problems between you two; I never thought you would react this way. Peter is my brother, my brother in arms, and brother by venom. Charlotte his mate is my sister, in both ways too. I love them dearly and they love me the same way. You know that every summer we take same days to visit with each other's and catch up. They have been good friends of our family and they never, ever, gave us reasons not to trust them. Last year we visited them in Montana, and this year they came to Fork's. They are anxious to meet Isabella, because we talk so much about her and I think that they love her already." I continued to speak to him, all the while feeding him with doubt and again determination, while at the same time I started projecting calm in the room for the others. Isabella visibly relaxed, and was looking at me with admiration and understanding, and, _yes, love, yes;_ it was there, a tiny sparkle of it.

I had to continue, I had to destroy him. The prize was everything. If she was a vampire my bite mark would be on her neck and my venom would flow through her body. That and the mating pull would make her bend to her nature and feel the pull to me, as I do to her. But with her being a human it was harder.


	4. Chapter 4

I owe nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Mayer

I would like to thank to every one of you that read and reviewed my story, and to all of those who put my story on their favorites and alerts. I would like to say thanks also to the wonderful girls from **Darkest Temptations** who rec my story in their blog. Thank you very much, you are the best.

Chapter 4

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper Whitlock .P.O.V

"As for Isabella's safety, you have nothing to worry about. They would never hurt her, they know how much we love her and you know very well that they only hunt criminals, not the innocent. They always hunt far from any of our locations. And I do not think that anyone in this family would discriminate someone based on his diet. They are good people, and their control is excellent. I would rather die than let someone touch Isabella inappropriately, or harm her in any way, and the whole family will be here to protect her if needed, you know that, Edward."I was projecting sincerity in every direction, but my prolonged manipulation of his feelings had a profound effect on him, he was incapable of seeing reason, of accepting what I or anyone else was saying. He couldn't believe anything but his own certainty that she was in danger and that it was his job to protect her. His mind was so paranoid by now that he had ceased all rational thought. In his mind he was right and we were all wrong. He would not give up; of course I would make sure of that. He was happily digging his own grave and I was handling him the shovel with a beaming smile.

"Jasper, you cannot say that, you know that accidents happen. You know what a danger magnet she is. And you know how good she smells they may lose control. I will not put her in danger, she will not meet them, she will not come near them or them near her. You have no saying in this, neither anyone of the family, and that's final. If I need to, I will take her away from Forks for the duration of their visit" anger and determination were flowing freely from him, animosity shooting straight at anyone who dared to contradict him.

I adopted a defeated posture and looked at my Isabella with a sad smile on my lips, hitting her with enough anger, confidence and determination, to help her say what she needed, but not strong enough so that she thought I was messing with her emotions, or to make Edward suspicious. She jumped at the opportunity I was giving her. She had been watching this little exchange of ours, with a sense of incredulity and exasperation at what Edward was saying.

"Well Edward" her tone was cold and hard, her eyes sparkling with anger. "That's where you are wrong; you are not my father, or my owner. I have had enough of this, I love you, I really do, but you are becoming to controlling. I have to breathe, I need space, I need my life back, and I need time away from you. I will not let you whisk me away for the duration of their visit, because we are done. You have to grow up; you have to learn to trust me, and to respect my wishes. Until then I don't want you near me, and if you can't do that then there is nothing left for us." She looked at him straight in the eyes, determination pouring from her every pore.

She meant it. I was ecstatic, this was her first step to get rid of him, even if she didn't knew it yet; mentally I was cheering and clapping. Months of careful manipulation and waiting were baring his fruits. She was starting to let him go. Edward just stood there looking dumbfounded; his worst fears were coming to life, and even without him being an empath he knew this was the beginning of the end for them. The grief coming from him was crippling, and for the first time in his life he had no words, because somewhere in his mind he knew she was right. I almost felt sorry for him, almost.

Before I could say anything, Alice jumped in, frantic and desperate; her emotions so strong and so all over the place that I could not stand to feel them for long. Fear, loss, anger, regret, worry, love, longing, hate, all mingled, radiating from her. She grabbed Isabella's hands and turned her looking pleadingly into her eyes.

"No, Bella, don't do this, you are wrong. You don't want to do this. He is only trying to protect you, he loves you so much, you can't even realize how much. Don't make a mistake you will regret, listen to him. If you do this the consequences will affect all of us. Don't be so stubborn, you will ruin everything, your whole life will be wasted for nothing." She was desperate, her eyes filled with venom, _why_? I thought to myself. She would have same explaining to do tonight. What she was doing sounded almost like a betrayal to me. I don't take betrayal well; there would be severe consequences to her because of her actions. She looked at me, meeting my eyes for the first time since this started and I saw the fear in her eyes. Bella glared at Alice and replied in an outraged voice, betrayal seeping from every word.

"Even you, Alice, my supposed best friend, you are never on my side. I'm so tired of this. It is always the two of you. Always planning and scheming to get your way, it is always your will, your wishes, your visions, and Bella has to go along, the poor child, who doesn't know what's best for her. You have to stop this; I love you very much, I think of you as my best friend, but I don't think you know how to be a best friend. I don't want my life and decisions to be ruled by your visions, I am my own person. I want to make mistakes and learn from them, I want to screw up, worry about that and then clean up my messes. I want to meet Jasper's friends, and I will, I want to take time away from Edward and I will, and most of all, I want you to think about our friendship, and what does it mean to you, because so far you are not being a very good friend to me, you don't even respect me ." She was furious, looking her straight in the eye. Alice was speechless, she never saw this coming.

"And this is the last time I want to know about your visions. Keep them to yourself if they concern me. It is annoying as hell to not be able to do anything without being spied on, and don't try to control or influence my decisions, because if you do I will end our friendship, Alice, I love you, but I sewer it. " The only reaction across the house was shock. Pure and unadulterated shock. Bella had grown a backbone and finally stood for herself. I was so proud, and I sent a small sample of my pride to her, my mate was brave.

Just because I want her submissive to me, like a woman should be to a man, doesn't mean that she should bend to the others, who are nothing in her life. The bending and submission is for me only. My little girl gave me a small, tired smile; she was shaking from her explosion and the overload of emotions that she had felt.

From upstairs we heard cheers from Rosalie and Emmet. Well that was unexpected but welcome, Isabella's smile widened, and shaking her head, she turned to Edward who still hadn't moved from his position and said in a soft but determined tone, looking at him in the eye.

"Edward, please respect my whishes, and leave me be for a while. I need to think; I need time and space to figure us. I need to clear my head, and think about my life and I need to see if there is anything left between us. You are overwhelming me with your presence. I love you, but now, it's just too much. Please don't follow me and don't come to my room at night. I need my space. When I want to talk to you again I will let you know. The same goes for you, Alice" Alice and Edward just stood there with their mouth's hanging open not knowing what to do, so shocked that their emotions were a complete blank. After a few minutes they looked at each other and them back to Isabella, who was patiently waiting for an answer, they nodded to her, and then turned on their heels jumping out of the window but going in separate directions.

Bella took a deep breath to calm herself, and then turned to me and sighed. I could see she wanted some comfort, either a hug or some words to take her out of her misery.

A small part of me wanted to comfort her but I didn't know how to do it. It has been long since I had comforted anyone. Maybe when I was human, I didn't remember. but in my vampire years the comforting included a bed, her naked, me on top of her, or under her, or behind her, and her screaming in pleasure or pain, better yet, both, _hummm, yeap,_ that's my kind of comfort.

But the fluffy stuff, the cuddling, the soft words, nope that is not me, I am not the warmest person in the world.

I believe in carrying the burden of our actions and taking the full responsibility for them. Isabella has to grow up fast, to be able to be at my side. And that includes standing for what she believes. It will be my job as her mate to correct her wrongs and teach her. After all, I must not forget that she is only 17 years old.

I am considered by most of the people that know me as cold, heartless, manipulative and most of the time a real jerk. But what they don't understand is that having my gift allows me to feel everything, from everyone. It can be maddening if I don't keep my cool and a constant grip on my own emotions. My position in the vampire world and my own nature as a man, demands of me a lot of control. So the possibility of showing to others my real feelings may turn out to be a weakness. A weakness that I can't show and won't afford to have. Isabella might as well get used to this side of me because within a few days she will be at my side.

I love her but I will not change my ways not even for my only love. I will not let her see or anybody else, that she is my only weakness. Showing my love in the way most mates do, could turn out to be dangerous for her and for me.

So now, in front of her I acted like the bastard that I am, and I let her stand there, in the middle of the room, alone, coming to terms with her choice, while I watched her carefully. She lifted her sad eyes to me and whispered.

"Wow, I really did it this time, Edward and Alice…" she trailed, unsure of what to do or say, well, with that I could help.

"They had it coming, Isabella, they can't continue to treat you like a child. We all have talked to them about this, but they didn't listen. As a matter of fact, the rest of the family was waiting to see when you would finally come to your senses and put them in their places. Took you a while, but you know what they say, better late than never." She was feeling relief, sorrow, and fear_, what the hell? Why is she feeling fear? She is afraid of me, her mate?_ I asked myself, frowning at the thought.

This angered me and I had to control myself in order to keep my growl low and my face even, not wanting to scare her even further. I would never hurt my mate. She was everything to me and I had done nothing for her to be afraid of me. It kind of hurt to know that she didn't trust that I would never hurt her. She must have seen the change in my demure because she reached my hand timidly and squeezed it.

"Jasper, what's going on? You seem upset, are you mad at me too?" her voice was barely a whisper, looking at me with soft eyes, her emotions expressing confusion and worry.

"Why are you afraid of me, Isabella? Do you think I would ever hurt you? Did you even listen to what I said to Edward?" I snapped, more harsh then I intended, but it was hard to control myself. My beast was not happy with our mate. She jumped at my outburst, eyes wide with incomprehension.

"I am not afraid of you Jasper, where did you get that idea?"She really didn't get it. It was impossible to lie to me, but yet I could sense her sincerity.

I was trying to hold on to my anger, to get to the bottom of this and make her understand that she didn't need to fear me. But, with her holding my hand and looking at me like that, her warmth seeping into my cold body and stirring my feelings of love, my anger was fading.

"You are forgetting my gift, Isabella? I can feel your fear, you were afraid just now before they left, and you were left alone with me." Comprehension dawned on her and she blushed.

" Oh, I see " and her blush intensified, so_ good, so warm, she must be so warm all over, my lord_, I had a hard on so painful already, but before my mind could enter the gutter even further, she continued, still holding my hand rubbing her thumb over my skin.

"But you are wrong, I am not afraid of you, how could I? You have always been here for me; you have always taken my side, and defended me, even with your own life. I have listened what you said to Edward just now. And it meant so much to me; it gave me so much strength. I don't know if I can explain it to you. But I will try. My fear is that I can feel and see that something is happening to me, and I don't understand what it is. I feel that every hour of every day I am changing, and turning in to a different person, my feelings and emotions are changing minute to minute. "

"I feel that I am loosing myself and I don't know who I am anymore. But, I want to find out; I want to figure this out, because I know that this is growing up, this is me turning into a woman, and this change and how I take it will make me the person I will be for the rest of my life." She frowned as if trying to make sense of what she was saying. _Ah, yes there it is_, she was really growing up, and she starting to get unsatisfied with her fairy tale romance and life. I nodded, for her to continue still holding her hand.

"But with Edward and Alice it becomes even more difficult, they don't let me be. Edward is always saying that he wants me to live human experiences and to live all that I can, but he doesn't want me to grow up. And that just saddens me; I feel that I am going to a place where he cannot follow me."

Again I nodded. Yes; Edward would be always 17 years old, a teenager for eternity, frozen, and she was a woman, human, already more mature than him, and growing up and evolving fast. In a few months emotionally and mentally she would reach my age, 20 years old. I knew there was more, but I could sense her embarrassment to continue, so I sent her some confidence and squeezed her hand. She smiled, and then lowered her eyes to the ground speaking so low, that if I was not a vampire I would not have been able to listen to what she was saying.

"And, I 'am afraid that my changes will make you all go away, because you don't like to change. I am afraid of losing you guys if I am no longer with Edward." She was opening up to me for the first time. This is how it is suppose to be, her, leaning on me, finding support in me, her mate. I grabbed the hand that was still holding mine, in both of mine; careful with the pressure I applied, and looked into her eyes.

"Yes, that is called growing up; it is making decisions, sometimes hard ones, and stick by them. It is making mistakes, and learning from them. It is seeing where you want your life to go, without the interference of others and led it that way. It is being you and sticking by yourself." I filled her with determination, pride, a bit of love and happiness, and smirking to her mischievously, I let her feel it.

"And you don't have to worry; I will never let you leave me. I will never leave you, neither the other's in this house. You are important to me, to us, I will never go away" She looked at me, acknowledging the manipulation of her emotions and smiled at me. A beautiful wide smile, all the worry in her eyes gone, replaced by happiness and awe. Good, happy is good; happy with me was even better.

The assurance that she was feeling after my little speech was amazing. She trusted me completely already; I wonder if I could stop the manipulation of her inner feelings and start showing her that that there are other alternatives to Edward, that I am here, ready and waiting for her, and if it is the right time to move.

_Fuck, where is Peter when I need him?_ I thought to myself, while starring into those deep brown eyes. Well, if anything I am a man of action. I will make my move today while everything is still fresh, and she had not the time to think things over. I will start to tease her; I will feed all those bottled feelings until there is nothing more than want and need for me. It will be her to come to me; it will be her to surrender to me, to beg to me to take her and to make her mine. This is a war and I thrive in war. I will deal with Alice and Edward, this time I will not be stopped. You are already mine Isabella.


	5. Chapter 5

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and review my story, and to all of those who put my story on their favorites and alerts. I would like to say thanks also to the wonderful girls from **Darkest Temptations** who rec my story in their blog. Thank you very much, you are the best.

Chapter 5

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper Whitlock .P.O.V

I watched her carefully, and I saw her disposition shift; she was fighting the sadness that was lingering, but feeling bolder, knowing that she was loved by all of us, and that no matter her decisions, we would not leave her. I could feel determination settle in, mingled with a bit of shyness. I could sense that she wanted to ask something, but was ashamed to do so. I decided to take her out of her misery.

"Darling, you can ask me anything that you want, anytime" my mate should know that, she should never be afraid to ask me anything. I may be a dominant jerk, but like I said, I love her, and what kind of mate would I be if she couldn't ask me something or talk to me?

"Jasper, I need to relax, and, ummm, well, since it is a beautiful day, and it is hot, I was wondering, ummmm, I thought that maybe you guys would like to go to the river, and ummmm, spend the afternoon there? Its same place where you could be at ease, without people, I don't know, do you want to go?, And maybe Emmett and Rosalie, too? I really need to let out some stress. I already have all that I need in my bag. I was thinking earlier this morning of going with Edward and Alice, but now, after what happened, I don't think it's a good idea for them to come, and I don't want to go home." She stumbled through the words, making me laugh; she was a funny little thing.

Isabella looked up, at the sound of my laughter, blushing embarrassed, but the looks in her eyes held so much hope, and how could I deny her this? Her request suited my plan and intentions beautifully, almost alone with her, without the annoying two?

This was the perfect opportunity to work her mind and her emotions. Her request wasn't unreasonable, and would not arouse suspicions before the time was right. After all, we would be accompanied, but only I knew how easy it would be to get rid of Emmet and Rosalie.

I smiled widely at her, sending her waves of anticipation and a tiny amount of lust, and immediately she responded; her heart beat picked up and her blush spread through all of the exposed parts of her body. She was excited and happy. I noticed that she blushed really everywhere. I was once again uncomfortable in my pants.

_Fuck, I can't wait to rip those clothes of, bury myself deep in her, and feel that heat all over my crotch_. I groaned at the thought, willing my erection to go away.

And I knew that tonight after I dealt with my wife, even if she was not who I wanted, Alice would be called to make me release, _she would not deny me, she never did_, I thought and since I can't have Isabella in my bed, I must use what I can get.

"Ok darling, I would love to help you relax" I winked at her, and her heart beat sky-rocked, while her skin took the color of a red tomato. So sweet, and innocent, my little girl, I will miss this innocence once she is turned, and blood no longer runs in her veins.

"Just let me go get some stuff, and I will be back in a minute, Emmett, Rose; are you coming?" I spoke just loud enough for them to hear, excitement running through me. Me, Bella, water, almost alone, almost naked, meant a sure hard on all the time. It was going to be hell trying to keep my hands, and the rest of me to myself; pure, sweet torture, but so worth it in the end.

"You bet we are going; I want to play with my little sister! Let us put something on, I know just the place to go, we can be at ease and not be disturbed by humans. It's not very far from here, and we can take my jeep, since the trail is a bit rough" Emmet boomed from upstairs.

Getting our stuff ready took only a few minutes, but I was in a hurry; I wanted nothing more than to spend time with my Isabella. Fortunately, neither Edward nor Alice had showed up by the time we drove away. That was for the best, it seems they were respecting Isabella's wishes and giving her the space she needed.

I appreciated that too, it was easier for me, when I didn't have to block my thoughts all the time. As for my decisions, well, Alice feared me too much to open her mouth or her thoughts to Edward; she knew better than most what I am capable of, since she bears the marks of my wrath on her body.

Emmett and Rose took the front seats, and I sat in the back with Isabella. I buckled her tightly in the harnesses, because the ride would be bumpy most of the way, and I didn't want her to get hurt. She didn't like it, and shot me a glare, which became fiercer when she saw that we were not putting even our safety belts on. She was going to start complaining, I could feel it, but before she could do it, I put my hand softly to cover her mouth, raised an eyebrow to her and put on my most placating smile.

"You, weak and breakable human. Us, powerful, strong, and indestructible vampires. So shut it." She just stared at me in shock, her eyes wide. No one in our family, and judging by her reaction, even her relations, had ever spoken to her like that. Emmett was cracking up with laughter, and even Rosalie was giggling, which a weird reaction coming from her.

I got my point across though; Isabella closed her mouth, radiating anger and annoyance at me. She was clearly pissed. Bring it on, baby; I bathe in that stuff every day. Soon enough though, her anger was replaced by fear. Emmett was now driving off of the road, and heading into the woods. I sent her calming waves, but she didn't acknowledge them, and a few minutes later she was border line panicking. I had enough and told Emmett to slow down but the asshole just kept going at maximum speed, enjoying himself, _idiot_.

He radiated amusement as he noticed Isabella's condition. She was about to throw up, not a nice thing, but a usual reaction for humans in Isabella's predicament.

"Emmett, if you don't slow down, she is going to throw up all over your jeep, and all over you, and it will be hell to clean up" I told him, my face a mask of indifference, and I sent him a dose of her sickness. His eyes widened, and the Jeep pulled off a full stop. Emmett did love his baby.

We were deep in the woods, far away from any trail, and I couldn't sense anyone for miles. Within a second I had Bella unstrapped, and out of the car. As soon as her feet touched the ground she collapsed in my arms. I stayed there supporting her weight and enjoying the feeling of her in my arms, while she fought waves of nausea.

It was the first time that I held her in my arms; she was so soft, so warm, her scent was so delicious. But strangely, though it aroused my thirst, it was nothing I couldn't manage since I was well fed. I had been working on my control for months, after all, and I was focused on the other things she made me feel. She had her head down, her eyes were closed, and her breathing was heavy, as she leaned completely against me. Her body was flushed against mine, and that felt so good.

With one hand holding her upright, my other hand went to her forehead. I knew she would found relief in the coldness of my body. I made her sit down with her head between her legs and, without removing my hand from her forehead, told Emmett to pass me a bottle of water.

"Here Isabella, take a sip, it will do you good."I was not worried, soon she would be fine, the nausea was fading, but I wanted her to see that I could take good care of her and her human needs. I wanted her to see that I could be gentle with her. It served as a reminder to me that she is not as strong as us, yet.

It was nice to be so close to her and the warmth that radiated of her skin was warming my own cold body in ways that only happened when I was feeding from a human.

She accepted the bottle and took a sip, finally opening her eyes, feeling better, and blushing when she saw that our faces were just inches away. Her breathing speed up as I exhaled and my breath washed over her face. It is a well know fact that our breath, sweet as it is, has a narcotic effect on our prey, allowing us to feed more easily because it temporarily numbs their sense of self-preservation, and allows more basic and primal needs to surface.

I used it, in addiction to my gift, to increase the urge to sex with me in my preys. They always had a pleasurable death at my hands. So, as I had done a thousand times in my past, I directed a small dose of lust and desire to Isabella, while exhaling again on her face. I was immediately rewarded with the smell of her arousal. It felt stronger because of my position, kneeled between her legs. Mmm, fucking delicious, I love the scent of a woman's sex. Hell, I love all the smells of sex and this particular one was my mate's scent, calling to me, I can't wait to taste it directly from the source.

It took all I had to keep my control, but I managed for a few more minutes, until, still in her haze of lust, she licked her dry lips and slowly leaned towards me, starring at my mouth. She radiated so much anticipation and desire, that I was lost.

I decided to see how much my power affected her, at this point I didn't care that we were not alone, my game to get Isabella was on. I was horny, her smell and her reaction to my breath was driving me crazy. I licked my lips in a slow motion, giving her a good view of my tongue, and for added effect, I bit my bottom lip, while keeping my blazing eyes on her. She was almost shivering with the desire to kiss me_. I got you, babe, you are mine, only your rational mind doesn't know it yet._ I thought to myself. But I couldn't, I couldn't give in to her, I didn't want to lose control like this. Not now, not here, and not with witnesses nearby, not yet. She needs to be led to the truth, to realize on her own that I am the one.

My power can help make her see the truth, but the decision has to be hers, without my influence.

With a super human effort, I removed my hand from her forehead, and as she was just reaching my lips, turned my head to Emmett and Rose who were watching our exchange curiously.

"Emmett, you jerk, see what you have done, it would serve you well, if she had throw up all over you" Through my peripheral vision I saw that Isabella harbored a dazed look, the confusion written all over her face, was a reflection of her emotions. She still felt a bit of desire, which she was fighting with all her strength, and a small dose of anger, probably because I had stopped what we both wanted so bad. _Yes baby, the things I will do to you _I thought to myself, while turning to her with a look of innocence in my eyes.

"Feeling better, Isabella?" she looked at me, well, glared was more the word, she really was pissed at me. And all because I denied her lust, oh_, baby, I will deny you so many times, just to give you more pleasure than you can even think about_, I thought to myself. Isabella replied in a hard cold voice.

"Fine, thank you. Why do you keep calling me Isabella, you know I hate it, I have told you and everybody else to call me Bella." Silly girl, as if I would do anything I didn't want to. Well, better get this subject done.

"Because I don't like Bella, I like Isabella; it is a beautiful name that you should wear it proudly. And I want to call you Isabella, and that's it. You will learn soon enough that I am not everybody else. I do what I want, always have. So, live with it, and shut it. All that fuss about a name, Jesus, woman." I had a smug smirk on my face, as I watched her jaw drop open once again. She wasn't used to anyone talking to her like that no one talked to her like that, but it was time for her to learn that not all of us will bend to her will.

Once again she did what she was told and didn't argue. She was pissed at me again, but I had gotten my point across. She would learn not to argue with me, it was pointless, and could end up badly for her. I would not tolerate insolence or disrespect of any kind. I am used to being obeyed, my Isabella is not an exception.

A/N I would like to say thanks to my beta, the wonderful alexis danaan for her amazing job, with my sometimes bad English, and her patience in teaching me. She is a very good writer, and you should check her stories.


	6. Chapter 6

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and reviews my story, I also would like to say thanks also to the wonderful girls from **Darkest Temptations** who rec'd my story in their blog.

Finally I would like to say thanks to my beta, the wonderful **alexis danaan** for her amazing job in this chapter, with my sometimes bad English, and her patience in teaching me. She is a very good writer, and you should check her stories.

Chapter 6

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper Whitlock .P.O.V

I saw no point in staying there since Bella was feeling better; I got up from between her knees and turned to Emmett asking him how far away we were.

"We are about 5 minutes away by car Jasper. I am so sorry Bella I never meant to make you feel sick. I just got carried away about getting there fast and showing you the place" he was feeling really remorseful. He had come to love Isabella dearly in the short months that he had known her. She really had become his little sister.

As much as he was sorry, Emmett was still radiating anticipation, excitement and joy; this place must really be special for him. Rosalie was just amused at the whole situation; she had a knowing smile on her face as she looked between me and Isabella. I knew that what had just transpired between us did not pass unobserved by her sharp eyes. She was smart but discrete and I knew I could trust her; even if I would have to give her some explanation later, I knew that she would never betray me. She had become very good at keeping her privacy from the annoying duo.

"It's okay Emmett I just got a little motion sickness from all the bumps, but if you promise to go slowly I think I can survive your driving skills." Bella said with a shy smile in her lips. He nodded and beamed at her before stepping forward to help her get off the ground. They headed for the car and she let him strap her, not even sparing me a look.

The rest of the ride was uneventful, Emmett went slower and we kept distracting Isabella with silly stories. Isabella's fear and anger faded and she actually enjoyed the ride. Well, to be honest, my gift helped her a little, as I flooded the car with waves of happiness and joy. When the jeep finally stopped we were laughing hard at the stories that were shared about Emmett's antics.

We got out of the jeep and took in the scenery around us. Isabella and I were both struck speechless. Emmett had exceeded himself; We were on a river bank surrounded by woods, miles away from anything remotely human; he had parked the jeep near the water under a large pine tree.

In front of us lay an empty space of about 20 meters long filled with yellow sand, arranged to form a small beach. It was not very big, but it was big enough for the four of us to lie comfortably in the sun. It was very secluded, peaceful and calm.

On the right side of the beach grew several trees with thick trunks, indicating their old age while the curve of the river made a natural wall that hid the beach from the rest of the river shore. On the left there were several large boulder's that had been deposited in a line that entered deep into the water; they helped to break the wild running of the river and its currents.

Between the two ends of the beach lay a pool of clear and calm water, inviting the viewer to a bath. It was private, calm place and with the smugness and pride that radiated from Emmett, Emmett made. I was surprised; the big bear had put a lot of work here and left me completely in the dark about it. He was almost shivering as he awaited our reaction. Rose, however, was not surprised; she already knew this place. She and the big bear did everything together. And Isabella, well, she was just amazed incapable of articulating a simple sentence, looking in every direction and pacing back and forth.

"Emmett, how did—wait, when did you..how!" She looked like a kid, and her childish excitement made us laugh at the show of appreciation.

"Well, Bella, I wanted to have a little place to call my own for when I need to be alone. I really like the water and enjoy lying in the sun. A few months ago I found this place while hunting alone and I saw its potential. I brought the sand from the beach, arranged the boulders to stop the running of the water and I cut the trees that were in the way to clear the space. Rose and I had a few dates here. But you and jasper are the first people to visit it aside from Rose and I. I'd like to keep it that way, so please don't tell the others." He looked at Isabella first and then at me, pleadingly. I nodded and smiled at him, sending him waves of pride and appreciation.

"Great job Emmett, I could not have done it better; it is fantastic, man. Don't worry, I won't say a word" I told him sincerely. I really liked the guy, he had a great heart, was a strong and skilled fighter, capable of holding himself in a fight, loyal and fierce.

Maybe one day I would think about convincing him to joining me and my guard, he could do well with us. And Rose would not be a problem, she was a bitch but she was my kind of bitch. She was fierce and loyal; direct, proud, and not a bad fighter. Maybe if I played my cards right; an eternity that didn't include high schools with horny teenager's, which I knew they were both tired of, would be enticing for them. Either way, I would see what side they would take when I made my move on Isabella publicly.

But those were thoughts for later, now it was time to enjoy this place, and see my Isabella's body in a bikini for the first time. _Please be a bikini_, I thought to myself.

"Well guys, we are here and the sun is high, how about we unpack our sparkling asses and have some fun as our human wanted?" I didn't need to say it twice, within minutes we had everything unpacked and settled on the beach. Emmett and Rosalie wasted no time and just ripped off their clothes, before jumping in to the water, playing with each other. I needed to be alone with Isabella; I needed time to make her feelings start to surface. I started to send wave after wave of want and desire to Emmett and Rose. I knew that this would be enough to keep them busy for at least a while.

I decided to restart my game; I turned my back to Isabella and lifted my t-shirt, and as I did it I heard all of her movements stop and a small gasp escape her lips. By the time I tossed it on to the ground I was hit by a big burst of lust. _That is very good my kitten, by the end of this day, you will know so much about lust, that you will do anything to find release, _I thought to myself. I turned and looked my soon to be mate straight in the eyes, my winning smile dancing on my lips; I started to slowly unbuckle and unzip my jeans. Her reaction made my heart swell with love. I know I am a very attractive male and that my scars enhance my beauty especially when I am in the sun, but her reaction to my body was amazing.

Bella was staring at me with her eyes and mouth wide open, unable to stop ogling me. Even in the open air I could feel the sweet musky scent of her arousal coming to me in waves. _She must be drowning her panties_, I thought. And, boy, the lust that she was radiating was enough to engulf both of us in a fog of burning desire. But, much to my regret, if I didn't stop this I would enter in a sex driven frenzy, and Isabella would be my target. We, my beast and I, wanted her bad. We were burning with the need to make her ours.

But I couldn't, not yet, not while she was human. She couldn't take it, she couldn't handle me or my most wild desires; she was too frail to handle my way of making love and I didn't know if I could control my strength and my bloodlust.

_Could she handle it? Could she handle us, while human_? My beast asked me desperate to find a way to have her, now.

_No, I can't hurt her; I love her, you know_ _that_, I replied him, trying to be strong.

_We can try a kiss, let's give her a kiss, see her reaction, and see if we can handle that, _he was franticly trying to convince me.

Maybe _a kiss wouldn't hurt her, just a kiss_, now I was trying to convince myself. The beast chanted and snarled at my surrender.

_We will be careful with her, we will not hurt her. _We both vowed. _Oh, my god I am so screwed_, I thought to myself.

I just gave in to him, I knew it was risky because of my control but I wanted her so much too. It was so good to see and smell that her body recognized her mate and was ready to be claimed. The fact that I didn't even have to use my powers on her to increase her feelings anymore was thrilling. I didn't care if she was just lusting, soon there would be the strongest love there. We belonged to each other, we were true mates; Marcus of the Volturi had foreseen Isabella as my mate 100 years ago. I decided to speak to her, end her torture and lighten the mood between us. I quickly got rid of my pants sitting there in my swimming shorts.

"Well, darling, are you going to stare at my beautiful sparkling body all day or are you going to let me see what you got under that? Not that I don't like to have a beautiful woman inspecting my goods but, when I allow it, I like to watch what she has to offer, too. So let's get you undressed and hit the water?" I smiled playfully and winked at her. I was rewarded by a wonderful full body blush and a gasp. I had to contain a chuckle as she started to shake her head to clear the stupor that my words and her previous lust had submerged her.

The feelings that radiated from my Isabella were so delicious; she was embarrassed by my words and at being caught ogling me, she was self-conscious, and _ah, ummm, there it is_, I see it. A veil of continuous lust, desire, attraction, and _YES_, my beast and I roared inwardly. Love, it was still there a little stronger this time wrapped with confusion, but slowly and steadily growing for me. I decided to tease her a bit more and I approached her slowly, moving my body as if I was hunting and she was my prey. My eyes were drinking in her body and face as if I was dying from thirst.

I stopped a few inches from her trembling body. Her warmth washed all over my almost naked form like a wave of pleasure and I had to contain a groan. I leaned towards her and whispered in her ear delighted with the way she shivered as my cold breath hit her sensitive skin.

"I can help you undress; I am very good at undressing a woman. I bet you will never experience anything like it; these hands and fingers are kind of magic, you will get addicted to them, and you will never want anything else" I was shamelessly flirting with her, and not worrying about being caught. Emmett and Rosalie were taken care of, thanks to my gift, fucking each other into oblivion in the river bed a few miles away. I had a hard on so big, that I could literally have ripped a hole in my swimming shorts. My beast was bouncing around in his cage, growling and snarling.

_Take her, take her right here right now_, he was screaming, desperate. But I was still in control of us.

Her body reacted to my flirting the only way it knew how; heat flooded her center with wetness and sent enough pheromones my way to knock out a bear. I inhaled deeply and my cock twitched, a growl slipping from my throat. The animalistic sound only increased her desire for me.

Her breathing was coming hard and fast, her eyes lidded with lust. Her desire matched mine, both of us bursting. I was barely controlling myself as her lust fed mine and visa versa. She was so ready to be taken, for me, for her mate to claim her, to ravage her body and to make her scream my name.

"Darling, you are sending pretty heavy emotions my way, and you know something? I like them, I like them very much they are so delicious; I am feeling pretty much the same for you. You can't know what you do to me, standing there like that, so innocent and ashamed. Do you know that you can drive a man insane with those looks?"I ran a hand through my wavy hair and liked my lips, her eyes followed the movement hungrily.

She couldn't even speak, completely mesmerized by me, my vampire power of attraction was working at full capacity; she would not be able to deny me anything I asked of her, even if she wanted to.

She nodded, looking at me through her eye lashes, her mouth slightly open, a thin layer of sweat covering her skin, making her glisten_. Just so fucking beautiful_, I thought to myself.

"Will you undress now, sugar? Will you let me see you take of your clothes? There is nothing to be ashamed of, I took mine off in front you" I chuckled softly sending my breath all over her face as I locked my eyes with her and started to " dazzle" her, as she called it.

I had mastered this aspect of my vampire nature when I was still with Maria, in the vampire wars of the South. When I joined the Volturi, Caius himself helped me to perfect it even more; it was the perfect complement to my gift. Countless women and even a few men had happily succumbed to it. Peter had become first my lover and later my brother after finding his mate in Charlotte. As for Caius, well, we had been together in many ways; in war, in bed and in seduction. It made the others we shared ourselves with, especially Maria and Alice, jealous to no end.

I am not ashamed. Eternity is a long time to be alone; an unmated horny vampire like me had to find release for his sexual cravings, especially in the middle of conflict and war.

In spite of my preferences for women and a very good supply of them to warm my bed I had had a few very well chosen male lovers, who were all thoroughly loved by my dominant beast. Hell, I am shamelessly and proudly known as a god in bed. My sexual exploits are legendary.

Vampires are highly sexual beings and until we mate, all options are open, add that to my gift and let's just say that my lovers are busy ones. Hell, some of us, like the Volturi keep going at it even after mating. Not me however, my Isabella will be my last one; I will never want anyone else. She is my one and only love.


	7. Chapter 7

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and reviews my story, I also would like to say thanks also to the wonderful girls from **Darkest Temptations** who rec'd my story in their blog.

Finally I would like to say thanks to my beta, the wonderful **alexis danaan** for her amazing job in this chapter, with my sometimes bad English, and her patience in teaching me. She is a very good writer, and you should check her stories

The Warlord's Mate

Chapter 7

Jasper Whitlock .P.O.V

I returned my focus to the deliciously innocent, virgin woman still under my vampire spell. I knew that any thoughts of Edward or Alice were long gone from Isabella's mind; I and my body were her only focus. I loved the effect I had on her, the complete absence of rational thought that only a true male mate can bring to his female, it had never been like this with Alice or any other lover.

Stepping away from her I sat on a nearby bolder, it was easier to deal with my erection while being seated, and I wanted to enjoy the show my soon to be mate would be giving me in a few minutes. I kept my eyes locked with hers all the time, smiling softly to her, and sending her a wave of bold confidence.

She was as red as a tomato, embarrassment rolling from her in waves, and barely holding composure. But as she felt my gift working on her she straightened her posture and moved her hands to her tank top, sliding it over her head. I hissed in want and pleasure when I saw the deep green bikini top that barely covered the roundest breasts that I have ever seen in my life, they were just perfect for my hands. Finally, I had something that I could feel up and that could fill my hands. Alice was a bit on the boy side when it came to that matter much to my distaste.

She noticed my hiss and, misunderstanding it, self consciousness and worthlessness washed over her as her arms flew to hold the tank top in front of her, trying to hide her body from my sight. I growled lowly at her. I was having nothing of that. In a split second I was in front of her lifting her chin up so that she had to look into my eyes, while with my other hand I secured her head.

"Isabella, if you ever feel that way in front of me again I swear to you that I will punish you, even if you are not mine. You are a very beautiful and most desirable woman. One of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my whole life. From what I can see you have a body worthy of being worshiped every minute of every day". I could feel her incredulity as my words sank in. She snorted, looking at me with a bitter smile.

"It is difficult, Jasper, to feel like you say, to believe your words because until now no one has ever said that to me. And compared to you and your family, well, let's just say there is no comparison. I am a plain human girl when pitted against the beauty of your kind, so you don't need to lie to make me feel better; I saw your reaction when I took my top off." She was starting to get so sad; I could not let this go any further.

"Isabella, you have misunderstood my reaction, it was one of pleasure; it's a noise that we vampires do when we like what we see or feel. I am not lying to you to make you feel better, you must believe me. Tell me something? Do you know how old I am?"I asked softly, looking at her straight in the eye all playfulness gone from my demeanor.

"What's that got to do with this?" she answered, frowning at me in confusion.

"Isabella, I am not a patient man, when I ask you a question I want you to answer me without hesitation." She better start obeying my rules, it will make living with me easier for her. By the look on her face I knew she saw I was serious.

"No, Edward never told me, he never told me about any body's story, except for Carlisle, and himself." She was uncomfortable under my hard stare, but I had to get my point across. She had to start believing in herself and be proud of what she is.

"Darling, I was changed when I was 20 years old, in 1864, and I was in the army. By any standards I was already a man then with a good knowledge of women and sex. When I became a vampire a lot of things changed for me, but let's say that women, both human and vampire, were a constant in my bed until I met Alice. As you can see I am a very experienced man and I know what I am talking about when I say that you are a beautiful and desirable woman." No need to tell her my entire story, not yet anyway.

She was embarrassed at the conversation we were having, but I felt also an underlying current of curiosity, and excitement. Perhaps she was intrigued by my sex life and experience. She was feeling less insecure but couldn't really let herself believe completely at what I was saying. There had to be something else. And just then with her next words all became clear to me.

"I can't help but feel that you are just saying that to please me Jasper, because if what you said was true, then why has Edward never touched me? He always refuses me; he doesn't even kiss me properly. I never felt from him the slightest hint that he desired me as a man desires a woman. I wanted so bad to be intimate with him but all I got from him was rejection."She was feeling dejected and her sadness was heartbreaking.

I knew that I was the cause of Edward's lack of sexual desire. I could not let him try to be intimate with the woman I considered my mate, to claim her as the man and the vampire in us claim their mates. She was not his; I had only allowed that he had her temporarily while I worked on my bloodlust.

With the help of my gift, I numbed his mating senses every single day he was in my presence and did the same anytime I could get away from Alice's constant hovering. I had also had several brotherly talks that served the purpose of ensuring that he maintained his old fashion morals about sex before marriage; I managed successfully to dissuade him from exploring any kind of intimacy with my woman.

He never suspected it of course; he thought it was too dangerous for her to go further in a physical relationship and with no matting sense left in him he just didn't feel the need go any further. It was as if I had castrated him myself.

Even now that I was so close to my objective, the mere thought of her in the arms and in the bed of another man was maddening and I couldn't control the low growl that escaped my throat. She was _mine_. I am a possessive bastard, and after I had claimed her as mine she only would be touched by the ones I gave permission to.

I knew she was only opening up to me, but knowing that she had longed for intimacy with another man, made me see red. I needed to know if she was really letting him go, or if there was still something inside her that was a threat to me in the conquest of her heart.

"Is that what you want Isabella? Edward to be the one you surrender to? Is it him you want to make you scream in pleasure? It's him you want forever by your side? Do you want Edward as your lover, your husband, your mate? I thought that you were over him; at least you did give me that impression with your little scene back at the house. I thought you wanted to move on" I spoke harsher that I intended to, jealousy raging inside of me.

"_Show her we are the one for her_" my beast growled in fury, he too was not happy with our mate.

"_Take all thoughts about other males from her head, let's claim her now for us only_" in the fury and desperation of my monster my control was slipping away from me. I was virtually incapable of fighting him, because the man in me was pissed at her too.

"_Make her submit to us, she is ours, show her_" he growled again in my head.

Without thinking twice I grabbed a handful of the hair behind her head causing a gasp to escape her mouth and I crashed her against my body. She didn't' even put up a fight. Isabella was startled at the sudden intimacy between our bodies but strangely I didn't sense any fear, she wasn't afraid of me. Instead she melted into my body, giving in to me and sending me another wave of arousal.

"_Our naughty girl, likes to be handled roughly, well we like that too, very much"_ my beast and I agreed .

"You _see, I was right, she can't resist us, she wants it, she wants us, we will not hurt her, let's take her Jasperrrrr_" he purred in my head, he sounded so tempting, it was so difficult to resist his hold on me.

I pulled her head back, forcing her to meet my glare.

"Answer me, Isabella." I almost growled.

She stared at me with her eyes filled with tears but I couldn't sense fear coming from her. Her voice came out barely in a whisper.

"I don't know any more if it is him. Edward has disappointed me in so many ways, for so long. I don't know how I feel about him anymore, Jasper. I know my feelings for him are not the same they were in the beginning, since Phoenix things…" she trailed off, and I nodded for her to continue, but she jumped to another line of thought.

"I want to be loved, body and soul. I want to make love and know how it feels to be one with my love I feel like I need to completely belong to someone that can give me what I want. I want to give all of myself to the man I love. I want a man, a friend and a lover all wrapped in one single person. I don't want to be ashamed or judged because of my thoughts or my desires, no matter how inappropriate people think they are. For once in my life I would like to know what it feels like to belong, body, mind and soul to someone. All I want is to be desired by a man and to surrender completely to him, but I doubt Edward..." she trailed off again, and all the editing that she was doing was making me angry again.

But as she lowered her eyes to the ground, the sadness and the feeling of inferiority that radiated from her was almost crippling. My anger started to fade under the weight of the sadness that my mate was experiencing.

I delved deep into her emotions to try and find out what she was hiding with the editing of her little rant, but all I could feel from her was murky and muddied after a certain level. It was the first time I did this scanning on her, because it required physical touch and we had not had much of that.

_After today that will change, I want to touch her_, my beast growled at me, and I couldn't agree more.

Undeterred, I continued probing with my power until I felt something strong and powerful in the deeper layers of her emotions. It was buried and so protected that I could not grasp it no matter how hard I tried.

_She is hiding something from us_, the beast snarled again not happy with the thought, and once again I agreed with him.

It seemed that my love was able to block my power to some extent, which made me wonder if I was able to manipulate her emotions all of this time, like I thought I was doing. That knowledge made me frown, and a weird feeling came over me. It took me a while to understand it: insecurity.

For the first time in almost century and a half I found someone who could be immune in some way to my power. I didn't like the feeling, it was quite disturbing. Now I knew how Eddie boy and Alice felt. I didn't like it one bit.

_We will find a way to know how to break that, she can't hide anything from us_, my beast growled in a vow.

Leaving the deeper level of her emotions I detected a glimmer of hope, pure and simple hope in her future. Once again I felt my anger fade, I would analyze her shield later and what could lie in those deeper layers.

_Ah, my baby is growing up, she already knows what she wants;_ there is hope for us I thought. She is starting to see that even if Edward was her first love, he is not the man for her future. It will only take a little effort to help her open her eyes and see what is in front of her.

I didn't know if that hope was directed at me or at any thoughts about our future together, but I was willing to bet that it did. The small current of love for me, which laced her feelings, was growing steadily, as it should, after being away from Edwards confusing influence. The knowledge that Isabella wanted the love of her mate, exactly the same as I did made me love her even more.

_I will love you that way, my love_. _As soon as you surrender to me, and acknowledged that I am your one and only, I will make all your desires came true. I will show you a world of pleasure which you never dreamed existed. I will teach you the art of loving and pleasuring a man like me,_ I vowed to my mate in silence.

"_We will do it together; she is ours_, my best purred from his cage delighted with Isabella's confession.

I made a decision; I will make my move now. I don't care if Alice sees this; I will deal with her later. I will show Isabella what she is capable of doing to a real man. I searched for Emmet and Rose; they were two miles down the river still enjoying the sun and each other. We were alone and I went in for the kill. She was vulnerable after having opened up to me and I had waited for so long to have her.

"_Yessss, take her, claim her for us only_" my beast hissed in pleasure at my decision.

I crashed my lips onto hers. I didn't even give her the chance of refusing me. She was mine, and would be mine for all eternity, better to know from the start that it is not wise to refuse me. _Not that any woman had ever wanted to refuse me, _I thought smugly to myself.

I broke the barrier of her lips with my tongue and devoured her mouth hungrily. Her tongue and her body surrendered to me knowing it was pointless to fight. I brought her arms around my waist and put them there, groaning as she grabbed onto my back for dear life. I heard faintly my own purr, I had never heard the sound of ultimate pleasure for a vampire, because we are only able to make it when we are with our true mate and that mate she is giving you pleasure. It only aroused me further.

As the waves of her arousal flooded my senses, I growled into her mouth, which only made her moan and melt more into my embrace, while the scent of her arousal got stronger.

She liked my growls_._

_Very well my pet; I am a loud fucker in bed, it is good you like my noises. That way everyone will know who do you belong to and who is making you scream, I _thought smirking against her lips.

I brought my hand to her hair and buried it there; holding her head still while with the other I grabbed her arse, grinding her core again and again against my raging erection. I needed her closer and she was already melted against my body, but still it wasn't close enough. I wanted to bury myself in that heat now.

_Yessss, bury us, make us burn inside her it is so worth the while, you can smell that she wants it too as much as us_, my beast purred in the pleasure of finally getting his prize, taunting me again and again.

We were both lost in our own world, moaning and growling, snarling hissing and purring, drowning willingly in the ocean of lust, want and pleasure that we were creating. Nothing else mattered but the here and now, and that Isabella had totally surrendered to me and to my desire.

I was out of control.


	8. Chapter 8

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and reviews my story. Finally I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan** for her amazing job in this chapter, she is the best.

I have an **o/s of Bella's POV** already made for this story, it is very complete and can be inserted between chapter 10 and 11, however, I would like to know your opinions on whether to post it or not. Please feel free to **review the chapters of this story and tell me your thoughts.**

The Warlord's Mate

Chapter8

I knew this was wrong, that we were not ready for this to happen, but my beast was lose and ready to claim our mate. I had to regain control of the situation or else I knew Isabella could get seriously hurt_._

_I can't lose her; we can't hurt her you've got to stop,_ the man in me screamed in desperation.

I had just started to control my blood lust around her, and now I was trying to mate? One wrong move and I could break her. I had to find a way to close the beast inside his cage.

_Don't even try, she is ours, you can see she wants it_, he growled pissed with my inner battle.

Suddenly, in the last layers of my conscious mind I heard the most annoying sound in the world, the sound of my phone, silently trembling with an incoming call.

_Fuck, Fuck, I will kill the motherfucker_, the beast growled against Isabella's mouth but at the same time the man in me managed to slow our kiss, gaining a little bit of control over the beast. It took all I had to disentangle myself from her warm quivering body, and to shut up the growling of my pissed off beast, but I had to answer. My phone is sacred, too many things depended on my rapid decisions, especially now that I was near the goal I had worked towards for so many years.

I gave her one last small peck on the lips before I made sure she was fine; her taste lingered in my mouth, making me want more. I took a good look at her; her lips were swollen from our heated kissing, she was panting, her heartbeat was fast but strong, and her body was flushed, she had a dreamy look on her face_, I guess I was the first man to thoroughly kiss the hell out of her_, the thought made me smile smugly.

_There is more from where that came from sugar_, _and I will give it to you soon_, I thought wishing I could say it to her.

_We can say it to her, and now you see that we can do it too, she will like it;_ my beast teased me, wanting more.

I couldn't agree more with him, but not now. I made her sit down on the boulder I had previously occupied; her legs were still wobbling and I didn't want her to fall on the ground, she was trembling with the intensity of the feelings we had shared, I must have projected some to her. My kiss had certainly made its impression on my girl. I kneeled in front of her and lifted her chin, so that she could look at my black eyes.

Her main emotions swirled around me in a twister of excitement, awe and lust, embarrassment and confusion, and the constant little undertone of love; thankfully there was no regret but a certain dose of guilt. She was trying to come to terms with what had just happened between us. _Good, the sooner she gets to understand her feelings the better._

"Isabella, I need to go and answer that call. I can feel what you are feeling, and it is fine to feel like that. I am feeling pretty much the same way. Don't be surprised, there are many things that you are unaware about me and my past. Of what my relationship with Alice is and what your former relationship with Edward was. What just happened between us was amazing and I can't wait for more, and believe me when I say that I. Will. Give. You. More. All you have to do is to want me as your lover and ask for it." I thought it would be a good idea to emphasize this; it could help her to figure out her feelings for me. I watched her as my words sunk in her mind, her breathing immediately picked up and I was hit again with a wave of her desire.

_Not now_ baby, I groaned to myself, as my beast growled in delight.

"We will talk about all of this later, but right now is not the time or the place since Rose and Emmett are on their way back and will be here soon. We came here to have fun, so let's enjoy the rest of the day; you should take those shorts of yours, and go play in the water, dive in and try to get my scent off you. I can smell myself all over you and it will do us no good to arouse suspicions before it's time. Do you understand what I am saying baby?"I hated to tell her to wash my scent from her body but I knew it was needed; it would do us no good to let the cat out of the bag to soon, not before I secured my allies in the family.

_But soon my Isabella, you will be covered from head to toe in and out with my scentl, and no other male will dare to even touch you, _I vowed to myself. I would use my seed to mark her as mine for the whole world to know; I was almost dizzy with the anticipation of that mating ritual.

_Soon_, the beast vowed too.

She nodded unable to speak yet, took a big breath, and with the wave of calm and tranquility I sent her she relaxed and went to do what I said, making quick work of her shorts_. Mmmm, what a fine piece of woman_ _we have_, my beast and I thought to each other.

I went to retrieve the damn contraption from my bag. _This better be important_, I thought. I was pissed that I couldn't have continued to claim my woman but at the same time I was grateful, I had been totally out of control when I started kissing Isabella, my long repressed mating instincts and feelings had taken over. I was not in control of my rational mind by that point; my beast and I were finally claiming our mate and we had shut down all the rest.

_The kiss was fine, we did not hurt her; we can go further later, _he taunted me.

_Stop it, we could have hurt her, I cannot lose control like this with her_, I shook my head in an attempt to shut him up.

I did not need to look at the caller ID to know who it was, the only man in the world that could face my wrath and not fear for his life, the only one who could get away with interrupting my time with my beauty.

"What?" I growled to the phone, not caring about the harsh tone, he was used to my short temper.

"Well my brother, you took your time to answer. Guess you were busy, and is that the way to great me after so long?" he feigned hurt, but I had known him for so long, and so well, I could sense his amusement behind the tone.

"Peter, it's not a good time to start up with your shit, I was in the middle of something" I smirked, I knew he knew already.

"Yes, your something is quite lovely by the way, and you are a very lucky bastard. But you had to be stopped, or else..."he trailed of; I knew what he meant, I would have lost control. _Fuck_.

"I stopped; she is not hurt, she enjoyed it and if you know what is good for you will stop appreciating my woman. Now get to the point, I want to go and enjoy my time here." I was looking over to where Isabella was, waist high in the water, already completely soaked, and I wanted nothing more than to go and join her. I could hear Emmett and Rose approaching, since I had stopped sending lust their way. Peter recognized that my tone was now in authoritative mode and he was addressing his commander.

"Sir, I am sorry I meant no disrespect towards you or your beloved. I only had a feeling of a very dangerous outcome from your passionate moment with young Isabella, and a decision had to be made fast, I know you do not want anything to happen to her." He was right; I could not live with myself if I caused her death. Once again he had saved my ass.

His gift even if similar to Alice's was much more accurate, because he was not influenced by personal decisions. What he felt about the future would always, no matter how long it took, become true.

And it was much more complete: he could not see the past but he did get the knowledge about the how, or why something had happened or was going to happen. Even Aro was puzzled with his gift. Nothing could change it, for him it was always crystal clear. But unlike Alice he could not provoke the knowledge of the future; it was the future who decided to show itself to him, and only on important matters and the time frame of one year, he never went further like Alice. He was never overwhelmed by visions like her.

That's why it was so important to have them both on mine and the Volturi's side. Together those two were one of our greatest assets, between the two we had the future, literally, in our hands.

"Thank you Peter, you did well, even if I still want to rip one of your legs off and keep them with me for a while."I said playfully, I knew he was only looking after me.

"You are welcome, sir. We will be arriving in two days, things are ready over here. The compound is operational and ready to receive the rest of the guard. The main house is completely decorated and operational as well. The training grounds have already been terminated, and the whole area is secure. The necessary influences regarding the human authorities have already been made through the foundation you created; we are completely secure inside the protected land as we desired. All the humans in the nearby villages were relocated and handsomely paid off. The cover story is already in place, and our compound is now known by the humans as "The Montana Wild Life Reservation for the Preservation of Menaced Species". The first guards are already installed here and will stay in the complex to receive the others" he was in full military mode, reporting to his commander. This was one of the reasons why I love the fucker, he was competent.

"Very well, you did excellent, and the work on the airfield? And why two days to arrive?" they weren't that far.

"Sir, the airfield is almost ready and the planes are in place, we already have all the necessary authorizations. As for the day of delay in our arrival I would like your permission to take my mate on a date in Seattle, before arriving in Forks, I know we are on a tight schedule, but we would like to celebrate our anniversary" I thought about it: they had both worked so hard. I could allow it; I am not an insensitive bastard all the time.

"Very well, but be sure to be here no later than Sunday night. I have my plans already in motion, bring Alexis with you, as a close friend" I might want to use her special gift.

In the back of my mind I thought about that vampire. She was a 100 years old, with a very unique and handy gift; she could transform a vampire back to a human state for an hour tops. The transformation is painful as hell but very quick, I tried once just to see what it was like and afterwards thought to myself, _never again_. She was changed after Eleazar had spotted her picking up flowers in the back yard garden of a church of Toronto, Canada, detected her potential and warned me. I immediately had Peter dispatched over there to take and change her.

Alexis was one of my best guards, personally trained by me. She was a beautiful little brunette with big gentle eyes, very kind and with a big heart, which she managed to keep even after her change. We all thought that she managed to save same of the preacher's daughter that she had been. She had a smile that warmed the heart of everyone who saw it and was often ready to help others. But she was also absolutely lethal, I had made sure of that; her gift worked very fast and her enemies were reduced to a quivering mass in minutes.

She had shared my bed for a few weeks in the beginning of her vampire life. It was my given right as a Warlord to choose between the female newborns that pleased me the most one to chare my bed, and I had been seduced by her shyness and sweetness. She was so good in everything she did, so eager to please me, that I didn't end her on her first year. After a few years she found her mate, Bastien, a nomadic French revolutionary, furiously idealistic, that for the love of her, decided to join my guard. They both would be in charge of the schooling of the vampire race. We had come to the conclusion that most of our race was unaware of our history, traditions and laws. It was something that was going to stop. Every vampire, nomad, coven or family in existence would be tracked and sent to the complex for a few weeks to be teached.

Even after the end of our relationship she remained profoundly devoted to me. Her gift was still in development and she had just returned from Italy, where I had sent her to learn how to better control her gift with Aro, after I left Maria, I could not leave her there. He had been training her and now she was back in the States to join me. Her mate had no gift, but was a fearless warrior, and I could count on him to guard my back.

"Bring Bastien as well, we don't need anyone else, I want everyone well fed, Isabella is only human, and I want her to meet the girls and start bonding. Tell the others to make the Montana complex work. I want everything ready for our arrival, in a week's time. Are Isabella's accommodations ready for her?" I wanted her human for a few weeks more until I changed her, but that meant I would have to have everything prepared.

"Yes sir, I had already anticipated that, there is a small kitchen in her room, complete with a stove and oven set, a microwave and a freezer already filled. The only things we have to buy are vegetables and fruit. We also bought all the necessary items for her bathroom and personal use. Her wardrobe as also been chosen according to your orders sir." _God, I love this motherfuckers._

"Very well, you and Charlotte did a good job," I could always count on him.

"Thank you Sir. Is there anything else you would like us to do?" he asked, still serious.

"Yes, I want you to contact the Volturi, and give them the news that we are ready to move on. Tell them I will be contacting them tonight I have some things to discuss with them, all three of them in conference, at about 23:00 hours."

"I will. And Jasper, you need to break Alice now,Edward should be broken later" he spoke softly but in a deadly tone, he never liked Alice or Edward. I froze on the spot. She had yet to explain her weird behavior back at the house.

"Thanks brother, I will take care of that tonight. I am looking forward to seeing you and Charlotte here. She is needed to take care of my Isabella, and to start to show her how to live with us and how things are for women in our world. I want her to teach her what is expected of her as my mate."

There were things that only other women could teach Isabella, since she would be the governor of our civil house. Her role would leave me free so to deal with the aspects of my military life and my duties without having to care about my household. I started to relax, knowing that everything was going according to plan and on schedule.

"Charlotte is thrilled, as are the other female guards, she will be loved by all of them and don't worry they will show and teach her everything she needs to know. Some things will be hard for her to accept as a human, but those girls have their ways of making it easier, as you know." he too was relaxed, having noticed my more at ease tone.

"Yes, I know, I will give her some time to adapt to her new life." I could sense he wanted to talk a bit more, but in that instant I saw Emmett and Rose coming from the left bank of the river, walking slowly, hand in hand. Emmett already looking mischievously at Isabella, who had her back turned to them. The fun was going to start and it was no longer safe to continue this discussion, not with Rose around.

"Well Peter, I will be seeing you and Charlotte and your friends, in two days then. I will let Esme know that you are bringing friends and we will prepare the guest rooms, I think she will be delighted, she loves having visitors." I kept my eyes on the river, where Emmett had submerged and was silently swimming towards Isabella's legs.

"I guess you have company" he knew me so well.

"Yes, Emmett and Rose are here. Tell the others to be careful about their thoughts and decisions. They must address the Cullen house as hostile territory." I whispered on the phone, I wanted them prepared for everything. I had to laugh out loud when I saw Emmett pull Isabella's legs from under her and pull her underwater with him, just to reemerge again with her on his arms, while Isabella screamed at him, sputtering water all over.

"Ok, my brother, I will see you in two days, give my love to my sister, see you later alligator" I knew he didn't speak of Alice.

"I will, see you in a while crocodile" laughing I hang out the phone.

It was time to go back to my woman and have fun.

The rest of the evening was fun. We played and swam, and laid in the sun warming our cold skin, while Isabella watched us with wondering eyes, she loved to see us sparkling. Emmett had a blast of a time with her, laughing and teasing her all the time. He looked like a child with a new toy. Some of his pranks to her were too much and I had to intervene and take her out of his arms, while growling at him to be careful. I was happy for any chance to touch and hold Isabella, and since she was almost naked it was so tempting.

I managed to keep our feelings under control, and she was far more controlled on the outside than I had ever given her credit for. But on the inside it was another thing altogether. She was feeling a tornado of emotions. Her love for me was leaking apparently from that place where I could not read clearly, and I think she was losing control of it. I now had the certainty that she loved me and had for a while. This was not the feeling of a day, it was way stronger than that and I believe that she had been hiding her feelings from me all of this time. The question was why? And how could a simple human girl have the power to do it?

_She is special, made for us, she is all for us_, _we will teach and train her in all that we know, we will know all of her secrets and she will never leave our side_, _we can be even more powerful with her,_ even if it was my beast talking that was my thought exactly.

My girl was a mystery that I was dying to unravel, but I would have to wait to get the answer to all of those questions. However there were some disturbing feelings emanating from her under that happy and relaxed appearance. While she lusted heavily anytime she looked my way, that lust was laced with guilt and remorse. Could she be thinking about the annoying two?

_Damn,_ that made my temper flare, she shouldn't be thinking about them, and most certainly not feeling guilty either about what happened between us. We were meant to be, they were not, I had explained to her that there were things she did not know about my relationship with Alice and hers with Edward. _Then why is she still feeling guilty_? We are finally together and the other two are going to be dealt with, _fuck, women are complicated, _I sighed and went to join them.


	9. Chapter 9

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and reviews my story. Finally I would like to say thanks to my beta, the wonderful **alexis danaan, you are a darling**.

I have an o/s of Bella's POV already made for this story, it is very complete and can be inserted between chapter 10 and 11, however, I would like to know your opinions on whether to post it or not. Please feel free to **review the chapters of this story and tell me your thoughts.**

The Warlord's Mate

Chapter 9

Isabella was happy and amused while she enjoyed the beach with Emmett and even Rose, who had taken the time to really try to get to know Isabella and talk to her. It was nice to see her abandon her cold façade. Every time Rosalie looked my way a knowing smile would form on her mouth; once I questioned her silently with a raise of my eye brow, she just smiled wider, radiating amusement.

"Later" she mouthed with a glint in her eye, leaving me dumbstruck.

Somewhere around 5 o'clock I noticed that Isabella, now conveniently sitting on my lap talking to Rose, while I disentangled the knots in her hair with my fingers, was getting goose bumps. Since the sun no longer touched our beach due to the geography of that branch of the river and a small cold wind had started to blow, I thought that maybe it was time to get her back home. I had important things to do today and I needed to assess the climate in the house after today's incidents. My first priority was to deal with Alice and speak with the Volturi. Only after that could I go talk to Rose and see where we stood. Later in the evening I would have to see my beloved, get some answers and hopefully show her a little more of what I can do with her.

Hopefully Eddie boy had run away to lick his wounded pride, crawled under a rock and was staying there for a while. Even though a fight was always good to beat the boredom of this life, if I went in a fight with him now, I would kill him.

_Yes I will kill him. He is competition._ _I don't want competition I will rip his fucking head off if he even think in going near our woman_, my instinctive beast growled. _She is ours now_.

"Isabella, guys, I think it's time to go" I said sitting Isabella on the sand and getting up taking a few steps towards the jeep, trying to distract my thoughts from Edward's death.

They looked at me, and while Rose and Emmet nodded and started to get our stuff together, Isabella just sighed still sat down in the sand, looking absently to the water.

I sauntered towards her, a playful smile in my mouth and put my arm around her shoulders.

"What's up Isabella, why are you worried? And feeling so sad?"I tried to look her in the eyes but faithful to herself she kept her head down.

The sight of her submissive pose was so hot; I had to bite my tongue to hold my lustful growl as my shorts started to feel too tight.

_This woman is going to fucking kill me, death by blue balls,_ I groaned to myself.

_That_ _is easy to remedy, distract rose and E, get her into the forest, take her and kill the fire by claiming her for us now_, the best taunted me.

"Oh Jasper," she sighed, and the sound of my name rolling from her tongue in the middle of her sigh was so painfully erotic, that I had to actually bit my tongue hard to stop myself from jumping her.

"It was so good here, you know with just us and Emmett and Rose, I actually had fun, and I haven't had fun in a while now. I was so happy, but now, having to go back home and to the problems is too much. Edward and Alice…" She was afraid and remorseful, but I knew what she was talking about, she was afraid of having gone too far and of finally having to face the consequences of her actions with Eddie boy. I had to clear some things with her right now. She had to know where she stood with me. Through my peripheral vision I saw Rose distracting Emmett with some story about a car, and received a wave of understanding from her. No matter the sign that she had send me, I still sent their way a wave of indifference making them concentrating on what they were doing.

Shifting Isabella so that she was completely encased in my arms and flushed against my body, I moved us out of Emmett sight and ignoring the instant wave of Isabella's lust and arousal, I tilted her face to look into her eyes, and spoke to her in barely a whisper.

"Isabella, you made your bed and now you have to lie in it. You cannot hide yourself from the consequences of your actions. I will help you anyway I can by giving you my support but I will not clean up your messes. That's all upon you. I want my woman to be sure of herself and to be able to stand by her decisions and feelings. You will bend to no one but me. You are mine now. You gave yourself to me a while back when you surrendered to my kiss. What happened a little while ago was my first claim on you. I will claim you soon in all the other ways but for now you must know that you are no longer Edward's. And hell will freeze before I will give you up" I really needed her to understand that there was no turning back, and that she would have to face Edward and tell him the truth and she would also have to face Alice.

I felt her surprise and doing a super human effort to ignore her strong burst of arousal and lust at my possessiveness, I continued.

"I have felt your feelings, and I know how you feel about me, I know and I as I told you before your feelings please me very much. We will clear everything up tonight, because you have to know what you are getting in to with me, I am not Edward and I will not treat you as he did." I saw understanding, hope and love, but as quickly as those emotions appeared they were replaced by a strong feeling of dread and panic and worry.

"There is no need for you to panic, sugar, I already told you I feel the same for you, and I will be good to you".

"You are not mad at me because I feel this way?" she asked biting her bottom lip and looking at me with teary eyes. _So adorable_, I thought.

"No darling, your feelings are most welcome, but now is not the time to talk about that, get up, pack, and we will drive you home. Keep your window closed tonight I don't want Edward to enter your room anymore. I will come to you tonight but I will use the front door, using windows to get in a lady's room is very impolite, and I don't like it. Wait for me; if you are sleep when I come in I will wake you up. Tomorrow is Saturday and you can sleep until later. We have a lot to talk about. Can you do that for me baby?"I pecked her nose, and then turning my head to her hear I licked a path down to her neck, while at the same time running my finger tips on her still bare sides slowly, sending her my desire and lust trough them. She grounded her hips against mine in instinct and then blushed at this reaction, making me hard again while I slid my hands to her ass and squeezed.

"Yes Jasper, I can" she whispered back, looking at me in awe, anticipation rolling from her in waves, her eyes full of love and a small smile in her lush lips. I had to smile back to her.

_Good girl, so responsive and all mine_, I thought to myself, feeling peaceful for the first time since I had met her. I extended my senses to feel Emmett and Rose; they were still distracted and seizing the opportunity, I lowered my lips to Isabella and kissed her forcefully on the mouth licking her lips and tasting her tongue for a brief seconds before stepping aside, getting up and taking her over my shoulder. Her scream of surprise and indignation let me know that she had gotten out of her lust induced stupor.

"Guys, we have a human here who thinks vampires have to do everything for her! We are not your slaves, get to work and pack your stuff lazy woman" I laughed setting her down and watched her while she huffed around gathering her things and Emmett and Rose cracked up laughing.

"Stupid, bossy, sexy vampires" she muttered between her teeth, which only made us laugh more.

The journey back to her home was peaceful and uneventful, and I got to hold my Isabella's on the roughest part of the trail. Her skin was just like silk, warm silk that I was dying to taste inch by inch and I had to adjust my tight pants at her proximity several times before she got home, wanting nothing more than to fuck her in the back side_. Fucking mating pull._

She was clearly exhausted when we got to her house; the chief's car was not there yet and all the lights were out. I didn't like the thought of her being alone, but now there was nothing I could do about it. I accompanied her to the door after she said her goodbyes to Rose and Emmett, and lifting her hand to my lips I kissed her knuckles, while looking at her.

"Remember what we have to talk about, Isabella? You belong to me now, not to Edward. You are not to talk to him or to Alice unless I say you can. I have programmed my phone number in your cell and if they come here or try to talk to you, you are to call me. I will come tonight, be ready for me, I want you on your panties only, don't put on anything else. Take a bath, eat something and go to bed as I told you. I will be here later; do you understand what I am saying?"This was as good time as any for her training to start; I needed to see if she would follow my orders.

I was so focused on her that I almost jumped when I heard a low menacing growl coming from Emmett. _Fuck, fuck me, I got careless._ I growled back, low enough for Isabella don't notice.

"Yes Jasper, I will do as you say, I need some answers too" she blushed, and her heartbeat speeded, her emotions showing a pattern of love and understanding, the fear mixing with worry and excitement and the ever present feeling of guilt. I would deal with that later.

"Go inside sugar" it was time to go, she nodded and went in.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, I walked to the Jeep, and as soon I closed the door, Emmett turned to me with a perplexed expression on his face, radiating worry, anger and incredulity. Rose was a living statue writhing inside with anticipation; it was obvious that they had witnessed my exchange with Isabella at her front door.

"Jazz man, what the fuck is going on? What are you doing with Isabella?"Well, I guess the cats out of the bag, it was not unexpected after this afternoons events.

"Guys, how about a nice quick hunt, and then I will explain all to you" the shit was about to hit the fan and I didn't want any witnesses if I had to dispatch both Emmett and Rose. I hoped not, I liked them and would like to have them on my side in the upcoming revelations, but if they were a threat they would be treated just like one. I wouldn't allow anyone to come between me and my mate.

We left Isabella's driveway rather quickly, we didn't want to take the chance that her father may come home and sees us there. As soon we were in the clear, we took the road leaving Forks and then we turned into the woods. Leaving the jeep in a nearby deserted parking lot we took off running, going deeper into the woods. When we were in a secure distance, far away from prying eyes and ears, Emmett immediately stopped his run and without warning jumped on me and shoved me in to a nearby tree holding me by the neck. _The fucker is strong,_ I thought to myself, while I tried to escape his iron grasp.

"What the hell do you think you are doing with my little sister?" he was seething in anger growling his words, venom falling from his lips, I wanted to speak but his grasp on my throat was so tight that I couldn't even utter a word.

_Well, where words don't work, my gift will_.

Gathering all my strength I sent his way a strong dose of lethargy, and as soon as the wave hit him his knees buckled and his grasp on my throat lessened enough so that I managed to release myself before crouching down defensively, a low warning growl deep in my chest. Instinctively, my vampire senses took over and catalogued not just Emmet's but also Rosalie's position, judging the threat.

"You fucker, I said I would explain, and you attack me without warning? You are lucky I really like you or you would be ashes by now. I know you are upset but if you attack me again, I will take you out."I sent them a wave of fear and heard Rosalie whimper at the strong emotion.

That was all that it took for Emmett to stand up from his crouch and take his mate protectively in his arms, quickly shoving her behind him and growling loudly when he saw me coming out of my crouch too.

"Fuck you Emmett I am not going to hurt Rosalie, calm yourself, we came here to talk" _pig headed bastard._

"You are fucking married to Alice, mated with her, and now I see you making a claim on Isabella on her front door and in front of us. Are you crazy? What do you expect to accomplish here? I won't let you hurt any of my sister's Jasper." I could feel that he was dead serious. He would fight me for the girls. I needed to do this carefully, speak the truth but not the whole truth. It wasn't the time yet.

"Well Emmett, I will tell you the truth but I want you to calm down. No one can speak to you if you are like that; you know that you can trust me, man, I have never given you a reason to doubt me." I started to work my magic with my gift, slowly sending small waves of calm, trust and curiosity stealthily changing their emotions to my advantage. I sensed as my gift worked his way deep into their emotions until they matched what I wanted.

"I just don't understand what I saw and heard between you and Bella, and how can you betray your wife and Edward that way." he said feeling worried but more relaxed as he tucked Rosalie tight into his side and sitting down on a fallen log. Rosalie kept a well guarded demeanor and was feeling smug? _What the hell?_

I decided to tell them what I could. I knew that this had probably been seen by Alice because Isabella wasn't around. But now it was time to face the music. Keeping a close monitoring on their emotions I said the words that were going to put all my years of planning and preparation in motion.

"Alice is not my mate. She never was. Isabella is the one intended for me. She is mine and I am hers. Our bond was seen by Marcus a long time ago and I have been waiting for her to appear in our lives. Alice has always known that we were only temporary and that even if I cared dearly for her I have never been in love with her and I never will be."I said in all the seriousness. It was the truth, they didn't need to know that I had met Alice and married her under Volturi orders, so that we could secure her gift to our side.

Emmett mouth was hanging so open that if there were any flies around they could have made it their resting place. Rosalie was feeling shock but at the same time she was feeling triumphant. I waited for them to come to terms with the revelation I had just made.

"I knew it, I just knew it", Rosalie was the first to speak in a whisper triumph radiating from her. Were we not vampires and she wouldn't have been heard.

"But he has been married to Alice for almost 60 years, he lived with us for decades now and you never said anything, he have always acted like a bonded couple, we didn't have a clue, what do you mean you knew it, Rose?"He was looking down at her like she had grown another head. I was curious myself and I nodded for her to continue.

"It's just I could see certain things between you and Alice. You were always detached from her, you never initiated any form of physical contact in front of us, I could see that it was always Alice who did it, and you just didn't show the sparkle of love for your mate in your eyes or in your actions. Sure, we could hear you two in the bedroom at night, let me tell you Jazz, you are a loud bastard in the sack and we know how Alice likes it rough but you two have no idea of how many times you drove Edward mad with your performances with her, and he had to flee the house because of your filthy disgusting thoughts and actions with his dear sister." She was laughing openly now, and so was Emmett thinking at Edward's prude manners.

"Yeah, have you never noticed that in the mornings after a particular hot night when we left for school he could hardly look at you or Alice in the eyes, his face all scrunched up in disproval?" Emmett managed to say between laughs.

"I thought he was just brooding like always, or that maybe Esme had cleaned his piano with the wrong dusting cloth. You know that guy has emotions as interesting as a snail. I try not to scan him or I may die of boredom." By now I was laughing too.

"Well it didn't help that soon after you enter the bedroom with her you start to project lust all around. You make the rest of us as horny as you are and we only have enough time to get to our own bedrooms. He's only had his own hand for decades and you know Saint Edward is above that. So, tail between his legs and off he goes." By now, Emmett's anger had melted away and he was shacking with laughter. We all were.

_I guess I was too busy those times to notice my prude brother_. I smirked at the thought, even if Alice was not my mate she was a good lay, and as I said my lover's are always happy ones.

"But, seriously I never saw you lose yourself in her. I never thought you would die if you lost her. I never saw the true feeling of love or awe between you two, never, not like a really bonded and matted couple has. And you were able to spend time away from her on your travels. That is just not possible when we are bounded to our soul mate." Rosalie said. She was feeling pretty satisfied with herself by now, and Emmett was awed by his wife's deductions.

_She is perceptive and smart; I have apparently been showing a lot more than I thought, maybe more than I should._ I thought to myself, feeling uneasy in the pit of my stomach. Those travels she spoke about were my duty for the Volturi and Alice wasn't allowed to come with me or look into the future for me at certain times.

She disobeyed me once; she threw a tantrum screaming at me and throwing things around after she saw a vision of me in bed thoroughly enjoying Caius and some of the guard's beauties. I had to apply a painful and well deserved punishment to her for acting all jealous and for sticking her nose where she shouldn't. She bears the scars on her back to remember to leave me alone when I need to get out without her.

"I did not spend that much time away from Alice, she often came with me, Rose" I interrupted her smirking.

"That's the point Jasper; you shouldn't even be able to be away from her for any length of time. It is just not possible for a mated couple. And yet from time to time you'd take off and leave her here alone with us." She was right. I needed to leave every once in a while from to build my tolerance to human blood, or on duty, and I didn't want Alice with me. It was increasingly difficult to stand her near me.

"And I noticed how you reacted to Bella, a while ago. How you'd look at her when you think no one sees. How you'd hover around where she is. I always saw the hurt and the anger in your eyes when they kept Bella away from you. Your anger and hate when Edward held her. You look at Isabella in a way I've never seen you look at Alice. Your behavior with her today was one of a mate."_Fuck. My. Life_.

"You really are perceptive Rose" I conceded her with a soft smile while I shoved my hands in my pockets. It was time to find out what else she knew, but Emmett beat me to the spot.

"Rose, Baby, why did you never said anything about this to me? I didn't have a clue. Does everybody else know?" that particular answer also interested me.

"No, I don't think so. Esme and Carlisle only see the good in us and try not to pry on our private lives. To them, Jasper and Alice are a happily married couple. And you Jasper, whenever you were upset with Alice, you never acted on it in front of them or in the house, you always did it elsewhere."

She now was uneasy and looking at the forest floor. She knew more than she should. Emmett was out of the loop about this, looking as confused as he felt.

"What do you mean Rosalie?" I asked her seriously, scanning her emotions and not liking what I was sensing; she was feeling guilty and scared. Whatever she saw it was not good or she had not understood it and I needed to know what it was.

I started spreading calm and confidence around her, and she looked up with a small smile on her lips, and then feeling my gift work she became determined. I just waited while Emmett looked between us.

"It was a while ago, when we were still in Alaska. I was taking a run in the woods and I heard screaming and arguing, I thought I recognized the woman's voice, and went to see what it was. What I saw convinced me that there was something wrong between you two of you, you were so brutal and I could see that your beast was out and angry with her." She was still feeling reluctant to speak even with my gift working on her so I locked eyes with her and lifted my eye brow as a sign for her to continue.

"It was you and Alice. She was confronting you about sleeping with Irina and Tanya while she was hunting and the rest of us were shopping." Yes, I knew where this was heading, I remembered that day. I had taken both of the sister's for a tour around the house to see the new decoration that Esme had done and they were showing me how much they enjoyed the new furniture and appreciated my company while I sat on Edward's piano with my pants and boxer shorts around my ankles.

I was almost at my release point grabbing Tanya's by her hair while she was servicing me and sucking Irina's tits when that thing I had to call a wife barged in to the piano room growling like a mad woman at us. She had lunged and bitten Irina several times on the arm and then shoved both girls against the wall before I could restrain her. I had had to take a raincheck with the two girls before I took Alice into the woods for some much needed retaliation.

"You saw me punishing and biting Alice" I said clearly to her in a cold tone earning a growl from Emmett. I shoot him my "don't fuck with me" look, and I growled back at him, while Rosalie looked to the ground again.

"Shut the fuck up Emmett, you know very well that in our race these kinds of punishments are the usual thing to do. Just because you or Carlisle don't do it often doesn't mean it's wrong. I have never hit a woman unless she attacked me, usually in a military situation. I just showed Alice in my own terms that she is not to question me or what I do, not in the way she had, and that she is not to attack those who are with me."I knew that by now my eyes were black and venom was pooling in my mouth preparing me for a fight with my brother.

_Show him who we are, he wants us to be weak like him_, my best snarled frantic.

"She is your wife, being your mate or not, she loves and trusts you even if you don't love her, she was upset by whatever she saw, and you punish her like a savage? You owe her more respect than that."Emmett was very upset with the thought that his sister was physically hurt by me.

"I have never made a commitment of fidelity with her, nor did she make one with me. From the very beginning of our relationship she was aware that there were rules and what they were. She accepted the situation between us willingly. I did nothing wrong and my respect is earned not acquired by a piece of paper, but I do not respect her when she acts that way. Her actions are disrespectful to me and the agreement we made when we got married. I am not hers." I told them in my coldest tone, so that there would be no place for doubts that this kind of comportment was off limits. I was already pissed off by having to defend my rightful actions. It was better if they didn't question me any further about this, or there would be bloodshed.

"She however did wrong and put her nose in other people's business. Where I came from this would have earned her far more than she got, and in the end she understood where she stands with me. Her actions caused by simple jealousy could have cost us the Denali's friendship and their support as allies; do you think her attack on the girls would have gone unpaid if it was not for my promise that she would be punished? " They needed to know that this kind of reactions could have serious consequences.

Was this so hard to understand? In my world every action has a consequence. The Denali girls are very close to Aro, Marcus and Caius, and have shared their beds for centuries now, and Eleazar and his mate Carmen are very esteemed friends of the whole Volturi coven. Hurting them in any way would mean trouble for the Cullen family and probably their incarceration in Italy for a while, and I couldn't have lost my chance to be with them in Forks when the time came to meet my mate.


	10. Chapter 10

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and reviews my story. Finally I would like to say thanks to my beta, the wonderful **alexis danaan, thank you sweets**.

I have an o/s of Bella's POV already made for this story, it is very complete and can be inserted between chapter 10 and 11, however, I would like to know your opinions on whether to post it or not. Please feel free to **review the chapters of this story and tell me your thoughts.**

The Warlord's Mate

Chapter 10

Jasper POV

Sure, I had fooled around with many others during the time of my marriage. For me Alice was just one of my many lovers. As I said before, I would not pass over 50 years in an empty bed waiting for a visit of the Denali's, a passing nomadic vampire or waiting for my tours of duty with the Volturi to get laid. So Alice was the best solution, even if I had to marry her. That way I was not only following my orders but I had a woman always ready and eager for me and I still could "eat" whatever pleasant little thing that passed my way and deserved my attentions.

Alice's possessiveness and jealousy often got her in trouble with me. Soon, however all that would be over. As soon as my Isabella says the words that I have been waiting for, for so long, I will be only hers and she will be only mine for all eternity. I mused on this while I listened to Rosalie, albeit I listened with only half of m brain, the better part on Isabella.

"I know that Jazz, I know how the most part of the males of our race see's their mates and how the beast is almost always in control. I am not mad at you for it, even though I should, I just can't judge you, not with your upbringing. And I know that Alice often shows an uncontrolled behavior when it comes to you. She often overreacts to things, I get it, but why have you kept living with her as a couple, deceiving all of us and maintaining a situation you obviously did not want?" That was a question I didn't want to answer because it was not time yet, but I had to give them something.

"I am sorry Rose, all I can say is that I was waiting for Isabella to come into our lives and for a certain number of circumstances to present themselves, but I promise you that that question will be fully answered in the next few days, all I can say is that tonight I am going to clear things with Alice once and for all." It was true, tonight I was going to deal with Alice, she could not keep me away from my prize, my Isabella.

_Our Isabella, she is mine too,_ my beast growled in anticipation making my mouth flood with venom.

"What about Isabella, Jasper? How can you destroy Edward like that Jasper, he waited 100 years for her, he loves her to death." Emmett said. I was expecting this but hearing it was hard. It took a lot of sheer will power to not shove him against a tree. I could not help the snarl that escaped my lips before I calmed enough to speak.

"I LOVE HER TO DEATH. She is MINE; my woman, my mate, my girl, MINE. She was made for me Emmett. I feel the fucking mating pull towards her every time I even think about her. I have been waiting for her for longer than him. She is my intended and I will kill anyone who tries to take her away from me." Except for my initial outburst I spoke in a deadly calm manner, a continuous growl emanating from deep in my chest as I expanded a field of fear and dread around me. I was sure my eyes were black by now. Rosalie was whimpering, flushed against Emmett's back who was now growling loudly, his eyes darting around, looking for threats in every direction. Once I had them convinced of my claim on Isabella I slowly reclaimed the feelings of fear and dread and send them calming waves.

"But she fell in love with Edward not with you Jasper. I know that they are having problems but still he is the one she loves" Emmett said. I growled lowly to him showing him my displeasure at his continued defense of Edward's supposed love, they knew nothing; they only knew what they could watch daily. I had to explain the truth to them, the truth I knew for so long thanks to my gift.

"Does she? Are you sure Emmett? Are you an empath now? Our brother knows nothing about love; he was turned too young to know about it or to know how to treat and please a grown woman. Why do you think Isabella is growing more frustrated with him and with her life every day? Why do you think they argue every single day? From his part I think that the feelings he has for her are ones of protection and childish love, it's like she is his most prized toy, an adored and fascinating toy with whom he is infatuated, because he never has had another like it."I released upon them small undetected waves of understanding. I didn't give a fuck if I was manipulating them; I would make them see things my way. Emmett was about to argue against my deductions, when Rosalie stepped around him and looking at me with a small smile, she said the words that made my day.

"It's true Emmett, what Jasper is saying has truth in it. Edward is too young and too immature for Bella. But you Jasper are also wrong in some of your assumptions. I think he loves her Jasper, he just doesn't know what to do with her, what to do with a girlfriend or even with a woman, and I am afraid he will never know. All his accumulate knowledge and mind reading skills never prepared him to be a real man. He is the eternal teenager. That's why I have been such a bitch to her. She is too good for him; she is growing up and leaving him behind and he doesn't understand that. He thinks that there is nothing wrong with him or his manners and therefore he is unwilling to change, in my opinion you are the better man." I was speechless, but my beast was growling his approval of Rosalie's speech.

_We must keep this one with us, she is smart, a good addition to the guard._ I couldn't agree more.

"If she stays with him, because we somehow pressured her into it or didn't support her in her decisions, Emmett, she will become more and more miserable and frustrated. She will throw her life away in a way that's worse than being turned; she will stay by his side, even if she doesn't want to."She was speaking with a passion that we hardly saw in her and the concern for Isabella's well fare was radiating from her. I was grateful that she had such an insight; she would be a good ally to me in the days to come.

"And what about Isabella, does she know? Does she have feelings for you too?" Emmett asked, he was more relaxed, and more accepting of the whole situation, but I could sense that the worry and the concern still laced through his words and weighed heavily on his emotions.

"Today was the first time Isabella and I were able to be really alone for a long period of time, Emmett, and to interact freely. I have known she is mine since I first saw her in the cafeteria. I do notice certain feelings from her towards me that led me to think that my attentions are welcome. She broke up with him today, because of his constant mistakes and, I think, because she realized that they were not meant to be together." Although I could still sense that it was difficult for Emmett to accept what I was saying, I sensed also his resignation and the beginnings of an acceptance. Rose, however was radiating approval as nodded her head in response to my words. She had witnessed my exchanges on the beach with my girl, and as usual she saw the truth.

"We had a little chat back at the beach and we are starting to get to know each other. I told her that I wouldn't allow her to go back on her actions of today if she was to be with me and I sensed that she was happy. I told her that she was mine now, and that Edward was her past and again I felt that she was just fine with that too. The rest will work itself out; we still have a lot to talk about_." Well, we did talk a little it's not all a lie_, I smirked at the thought of what I did to her on that beach.

_Tonight, we will do even more, _my beast growled at me.

"If things are like you say, why have you waited so long before claiming her for yourself, why did you allow Edward to step in on what was yours?" Emmett was feeling very confused but he would not be a problem. He was only worried about his family and the fight that this would certainly start between Edward and me. Although I couldn't care less, for him this family was very important.

"Emmett, I knew she was coming to me in here in this town, I just had to wait. What neither of you knows is that she is my singer too. Her blood sings to me and it is even worse than it is for Edward because of the mating pull." I saw comprehension dawn on their eyes and then awe.

"You feel her mating pull? I didn't know that, fuck, that must have been hard, how did you managed to resist both calls?" Emmett was impressed, possibly with my control and strength. In fact if it was difficult as hell to resist her blood, so fucking sweet and fragrant, it was even worst to resist the call of her body.

A bonded male or female human or vampire, whether they are aware of the bond they share with the other or not, will release in the atmosphere when in close proximity enormous quantities of pheromones that only the other part of the couple can smell. It is a certain thing; the female only calls her mate, no one else that way. We vampires can have sex with no matter whom, even after we mate, but the mating call is once in a life time, and our bonded mate will always be the best for us. These pheromones are destined to start a sexual frenzy between the two, pulling them together so that the mating ritual may be fully accomplished. It's a phenomenon that will continue for all eternity between the bonded couple every time they are together.

"It was fucking difficult, and it got worse after she started to come to the house. I had to step away to build my resistance to her blood and to her mating call, so that she wouldn't end up drained in my arms while I fucked her to death. After all, she is only human." I knew my words were crude but they were true, every vampire goes through this, the urge to mate and to claim is almost unbearable and then if you add to the mix your singer's blood, it is almost impossible to resist.

"While I was building my resistance, so as not to harm her, Edward stepped in thinking he was in love. I believe he dazzled her, and then she ..."I couldn't continue, those were hard times for me and I wanted to destroy something now that I was thinking about it. I had to clench my hands so that I could control myself.

"He made her fall for him…..fuck man, I am sorry, that must have been hell, seeing your mate with another." Emmett was feeling pity and sympathy for me now. And Rosalie was radiating pride. She was proud of me, probably because I stepped aside from my woman in order not to hurt her.

"Yes it was hell, but you know something? I am glad he was there for her, because in Phoenix I would not have been able to do what he did." It was true. I really was grateful; he had stopped the venom that was not mine from turning Isabella. Not that he was aware of that, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to hurt for taking what was mine, to begin with. They both nodded, their pride at my selfness increasing.

"And since then, you have been waiting for her to open her eyes and realize that you are the one for her. I saw today that her blood no longer temps you and you managed to control your urges from the mating pull", Rosalie said, perceptive like hell. She winked at me, amusement and smugness radiating from her. I knew she was thinking of mine and Isabella's actions this afternoon, she had noticed the sexual tension and attraction between us.

"Yes I think I did, her blood still calls to me, but I want her too much to notice the burn in my throat, and for the matting pull, well, she might be unaware but she flooded, literally drowned, every area where we were together, even when she was with Edward, calling me to take her. But I think I've managed to dominate my beast, he knows she is human and his urges have to be tamed for now." she would never know how many times I used her matting call to fuck Alice and others to exhaustion.

_As we will do to her, as soon as she can handle us, both of us_, my beast whispered making me hard in an instant.

"What are you going to do now?"Rosalie asked and I could feel that they had no more objections to me and Isabella; they were now only concerned about what was going to happen in the family when the truth came out.

"I am going to settle things with Alice. I need to be free for pursuing my relationship with Isabella. After that I will take my rightful place as Isabella's mate in her room at night and in public. She will sleep in my arms tonight and I will start my marking of her. I have let this go for long enough. Then I will make sure Isabella goes and clear things with Edward once and for all." no need to tell them more than that for now.

"Will you be good to her? She is not ready to be marked inside, Jasper. Will you love and protect her like you are supposed to do to your bonded mate?" Emmett worried, he knew a little of what I was and how I viewed women and life.

"I know that Emmett, but you know that the first mark is the scent on her skin. I will do it tonight. If what I felt from her already is of any indication, she will feel great pleasure at the marking as all females do. I won't mark her inside yet, she is human still. But there will be no doubt in her mind after tonight that I will be her mate, her master, and her love. She will be my wife one day, my only beloved one and my love, that is all I can promise to you. I won't let anybody harm or hurt her, neither will I ever cause her unnecessary suffering, I will protect her with my own life" It was true, I didn't expected problems from my mate once she was trained and aware of her new life at my side. I noticed that at my mentioning of the word master, Rosalie flinched and Emmett frowned.

They knew I was a traditional vampire, and like vast big majority of us, I had the need to possess and control my woman. We were territorial and very dominant, and our women were meant to submit to their mates. I raised my eyebrow at them daring them to say something.

"You know that I am a traditional vampire with a dominant upbringing, and even before that I was a southern traditional man. I have not changed my views about a woman's place in our world, and I expect certain things from my wife, from my mate Isabella. She will be however, trained for it and I will give her the time she needs to get used to her new life. You must know, however, that I will never do anything to her or with her without her consent and I will never abuse her or her spirit. She is my equal in spirit and will always have a word in everything that concerns us. Her opinions will be taken in consideration, even if the final word is mine." It was true, I did want a companion, a kindred spirit, and submission to me as her mate apart, I didn't want a mindless slave at my side. I was very proud of Isabella obvious intelligence, manners and culture, and really loved her spirit that was starting to come out.

"Even you and Carlisle are no different, I know that from time to time you feel that need to dominate and submit your wives and show them that you are in charge. It's impossible to resist that need, you know that, as it is difficult for the females to resist the urge to submit to our beasts." This was something I would never back down on, she was mine, and I was raised in a different time and place and I expected certain things from her as my wife. I would not change this not even for her.

Emmett knew I spoke the truth, he and Carlisle in spite their more good nature and calmer ways, were unable every now and then to hide and control completely their vampiric nature, and we could hear and sometimes even see the consequences of that affirmation of our male animalistic side around the house when that happened. I was always amused when Carlisle lost his cool and his control over his beast and pushed Esme on her hands and knees on the floor of the living room, before ripping her clothes off, diving into her like a lion in heat on mating season and sinking his teeth into the back of her neck to keep her still, before we even had the chance to flee. When those moments happened we were always careful to keep Isabella away from the house, until Esme recovered from the experience, this ashamed Edward to no end.

Rosalie was nodding again, looking at the ground, radiating fear and at the same time lust. She must have been thinking of the last time Emmett gave in to his inner beast.

"I know, you are right, but what about Edward? This is going to destroy him and he will never love other woman." This was Emmett's last worry.

"I don't know about him, and as cruel as it seems I don't care. He will get over her. He has to because she is mine and you know how territorial I am. I don't want any contact between them other than in the family events, besides those I won't allow him anywhere near my mate. And I will not back down in showing that she is mine publicly for the remaining of our time with the family in order to not hurt his feelings. I do believe that he will find his true mate, but Isabella is not for him. I have waited long enough to claim her as mine, and I will fight and I will kill for my woman."

"You are leaving us, the family", Rosalie said in a broken whisper, dread filing her as she understood what I meant. She and I were always close.

"Yes, as soon as I have my things sorted out, Isabella and I will be headed to Montana with Peter and Charlotte. I am going on my own and they are going to join my house. I have something going on that will change everything for us. I will have a family meeting before going away to explain certain things to all of you, and after that we will say our goodbyes. If after you know everything that is going on, you want to join the Whitlock house my door is always open for you two." I would give them the choice of joining after they knew what were my plans and my role in the new vampire world, and I couldn't help but to feel sorry for them in case they choose to stay with the Cullen's.

"Does Isabella know of this? What about her father? You will break the family that Esme and Carlisle worked so hard to build, why can't you just stay and work things out? We could help you." Rosalie was having a hard time in accepting these changes as usual. I was ready for this.

"I haven't yet discussed this with my mate, but I know she will follow me. I will deal with her father. I think you can understand that with my claim on Isabella things would be awkward at least in the family, and I really want to put a distance between Isabella and Edward. To me he is a male intended on taking what is mine; I cannot see him as a brother anymore and I would fight him if he dared to even look at her in a way I didn't like. Things would most definitely end badly for him and the rest of the family. And I also want a change, a change of life; I am tired of schools and never ending boredom. I am going to make myself a good life with my mate."

They just nodded in understanding, sadness filling them but mixed with acceptance. Things had gone better than I expected. I had only another request.

"I would like to ask you, for now, to keep this a secret, from Edward and the rest of the family. I am going to speak to Alice tonight, and I would like my privacy, and Isabella will clear everything with Edward tomorrow." I knew they were going somewhere far away to discuss these changes just the two of them.

"Jasper, she is going to speak to him with your scent already on her? She is going to break with him once and for all already marked by you? That is not good, Jasper, he may lose it." I started to growl and venom started to fall from my mouth at the thought of my mate being in danger. Emmett was feeling uneasy and worried, hell; I had not thought about that, I had to be close by, my need to protect my mate kicking my instincts into war mode. I knew that if Edward tried anything against my mate he would just die, again. But there was no way in hell that I wouldn't mark my mate with my scent tonight. It was also a bit of a revenge of what he had dared to do to me. I wanted to rub it in, show him how she had given herself to me without hesitation in such an intimate way, less than 24 hours after breaking up with him. The thought made me smirk and at the same time helped to calm me down.

"I will take care of that. She will go with my mark; if he tries anything I will kill him, I will be close by." It would be like that for the rest of eternity, I would not allow her to be alone with another male ever again unless I authorized it, with the exception of her family and close trusted friends.

"So, can I count on you to keep the secret of this for just a few more hours?" it was getting late and I had a lot of things to do.

"Yes, we will keep it a secret for as long as you need. I just ask of you not to prolong their suffering more than it should. And please don't hurt Isabella." Emmett pleaded with sad eyes. He knew the family would be in turmoil in the morning.

"I won't, I will only do what I have to do in order to get my mate like any other male. I will claim and mark her as mine as we all do. You were no different from me, Emmett, from what I have been told. Edward bears the scars from looking at your Rose in a way that made you jealous when you were a newborn with the mating pull on full force, remember?" Many times we had laughed our heads off on account of this story.

"Yes, he does remember, and so do I" Rosalie giggled while looking at him adoringly.

"We will be in the house by morning" Emmett groaned at me, but looking lovingly at his mate.

"Well, I am going to take my leave now", I told them before I jump both of them from the lust they are sending, I added in my mind. It was around 19:00 now and I had time for a quick hunt before going to deal with Alice.


	11. Chapter 11

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and reviews my story. I also would like to say thanks to my beta, the wonderful **alexis danaan. You are a darling.**

This will be a one time, Bella's POV.

The Warlord's Mate

Chapter 11

Isabella's POV

_Oh, my god, oh, my god, what I am doing? What I am thinking? How can I do something like this to Alice, to Edward, to their family?_ This mantra repeated over and over again in my head as I rocked myself back and forth on the floor of my room, panicking at the thought of the consequences of what had happened this afternoon with Jasper. _I am so glad Charlie isn't home yet, I can't be around him, not now_, I thought. But the worst thought in my head was not the betrayal that I had so willingly committed; it was that I would do it over and over again, for as long he wanted it from me.

The simple thought of Jasper's kisses, the feeling of his body wrapped around mine, the sheer passion that he had let me feel on Emmett's beach and his words to me when he accompanied me home, made a pool of wetness gather between my legs, my body warmed all over and I started to hyperventilate.

This afternoon I had been acting on pure instinct, _pure sexual instinct_, and I wanted nothing more than to be his forever, to let him have his way with me and to make me his woman. I wanted him to claim me, to mark me, to possess every inch of my mind, my body and my soul. All rationality, all shyness and shame, vanished the moment he spread his breath over my face, when his body touched mine.

I had never felt anything like that before. It was like a storm, a storm that was swallowing whole. It was like a tidal wave that was drowning me in a sea of primal instincts. With him I was a female, an animal waiting to be claimed by a male.

I couldn't even think about leaving my room and taking care of my stuff before going to bed tonight, knowing full well what he had promised me. Now that we had kind of declared ourselves I was scared shitless of this man, of his power over me, of his promises, of what he would do to me_. Oh, my god, what have I done? What about Alice? He said he would explain… that there were things…and that he felt the same for me as I felt for him…and that my feelings for him were welcome...oh God, wait for him only in my panties…_I was hyperventilating again. I knew I had to calm down but it was difficult in my current state.

He just made me forget all the resolutions and decisions that I had made the day I finally understood I loved him. One simple afternoon on the beach with him was all that took to break my discipline.

I don't know how it began. If I had noticed it maybe I could have stopped it, maybe. I am not sure though. The feelings, the pull started so slowly, like the first drops of rain before a raging storm. Before I knew it I was lost in an ocean of love and lust for a man that I barely knew.

In the beginning it was curiosity about the most secretive and elusive member of the Cullen family, but then that curiosity evolved into something more powerful and overwhelming; I had this need to know him and everything about him, then that need to get to know him changed into the need to be with him, to see him, to be in his presence.

Maybe I could have stopped it when it begun, if I knew what this feeling was, but I didn't do it and one thing I know for sure now. It's too late to do anything about it. I am in too deep now, and I am hopelessly and irrevocably in love with him.

I felt the physical pull manifest for the first time when he touched me in the airport of Phoenix, but I could not forget the warmth that his words, words spoken to a scared girl, had provoked in me, _you are worth it_. But, if I really think about it, I think the attraction started when I first saw him enter the cafeteria of Forks High School, he was spinning Alice and his presence made my heart trip on itself. I looked at him across the room before looking at Edward and my panties became immediately damp, I was so ashamed of that reaction that I left the room earlier to go to the toilet. Back then I thought it was a reaction to their beauty. But I always felt the same way afterwards, and I thought it was due to my desire for Edward. _Was I wrong? Was it Jasper all along that made me feel that way? Oh my god._

The elation that my body felt at his soft, timid touch in that airport was like nothing I had ever experienced, it surpassed the feeling of Edward's kiss or touches, it felt like I had arrived home from a long journey. But I could not dwell on this unexpected and amazing feeling when I had to run to meet my destiny and possibly my death.

Leaving, knowing he was outside that toilet door was one of the most difficult things I had had to do in my life, but I attributed it to the feelings of guilt in betraying them, betraying him, due to the fact that I was risking my life when they were trying to save it.

That had to be the reason why my heart ached so much, and why I could only see his lovely, worried and at the same time fiercely angered face when I faced what I thought to be my final moments, sorrow and regret filling my torn and mangled body. I looked at him and I wanted to cry above the pain, I wanted to mourn the death of something unknown to me that never had the chance to be born, our love.

When I woke up from that dreamless nightmare in the hospital, I knew that something had happened to me, a change deep within my soul, which made me look at Edward and our relationship with a set of clearer eyes. I didn't see Jasper and I knew he had gone back to Forks. I felt the disappointment flood me but I managed to settle my disturbing and unexpected feelings while I concentrated on the recovery of my broken body.

But the sparkle that his touch had lit in me could not be stopped, no matter how hard I tried. Those painful weeks in the hospital, without seeing him were an endless torture. Edward's constant hovering, worry and self loathing made it even worse; it seemed that he couldn't just be happy and relax. Coming home to Forks was a blessing; finally I could see and try to get to know the man that had turned my world upside down with three simple words and one single touch.

Or, so I thought.

Things definitely changed-they got worse. Edward and Alice were impossible in their care for me. I knew they meant well but I was not able to have a single moment to myself. Slowly I started to feel overwhelmed, and as the feeling of annoyance at Edward and Alice grew and my feelings of love and want for Edward diminished.

No matter how hard I tried to be close to him, Jasper always stood in the back ground. He was a detached part of the family. They never let him near me, never, no matter how hard I tried, and I tried hard, only to be time and time again thwarted by Alice or Edward who, deaf to my reasoning and arguments always said, _it's not safe for you, he struggles with the bloodlust more than the rest of us, he may snap and hurt you_. It was their mantra.

But I knew that to be a lie. I knew it deep in my soul. I don't know why or how I knew it, but for me it was one of those things that is so evident that just has to be true. A man like that, with the aura of power and strength that emanated from him had to be in perfect control of every aspect of his life.

So I had to settle with watching him whenever I could, when I visited the Cullen household and he was" allowed" to be in the same room as me, which didn't happened often.

Slowly he became my drug, my addiction. One look from him made my body shiver in delight and the ghost of one of his rare smiles directed at me lightened my day.

To me he was the incarnation of everything that was forbidden, inaccessible, wild and dangerous. I knew that he wasn't mine, he could never be mine, and how could a man like that ever belong to someone? I knew deep in my heart that we were so far from the other as the past is from the future. But that wasn't enough to make me stop feeling the way I did – and still do.

He radiated an aura of freedom and power, I could see it in the way he moved, in the way he spoke and in the way he looked at this world. He was content with what he was; he didn't swim in self loathing like Edward.

I watched as he allowed others to be in his presence, as he allowed himself to be surrounded by parents, brothers, a pseudo family, a beautiful and loyal wife, and it seemed to me that I was the only one who could see the strain it was for him to be a part in the charade of a normal human family. He didn't belong here.

I believe it was the strain of that fake life that he secretly despised that made him be the quiet and distant Jasper Hale, always the watcher and never the participant in the family. On the outside he appeared calm and content with his chosen life, however, whoever looked at him, really looked, like I did when I could do it without being caught, could see that behind that calm and apparently detached nature, behind those painfully beautiful golden eyes, and that seraphic face a monstrous storm was raging, a terrible and fierce creature clawed and fought to break the chains that locked him to this life.

I knew then that he could never be mine, not the way I wanted, but, I also knew that I was completely and irrevocably his. I knew that, deep down, for him I would do anything, even if only for having the pleasure of being in his presence. But I knew also, that the minute the truth about me was known I would lose everything, but most importantly he could just disappear from my life, and that I could not bear.

So, I decided to live a lie and stay with Edward, to try and make things work between us. I tried to shut down all the feelings I had for Jasper in the deepest part of me. I avoided every situation that could denounce me and my raging emotions, and I behaved like a teenager in love. I kind of hoped that the problem that Edward and Alice had with the use of their powers on me would also extend to Jasper's ability to feel my emotions. I guarded for my rare moments of solitude the feelings and the happiness that the memories of a smile or a word from him evoked in me.

_Does he know how I feel_? It was a thought that plagued and worried my every awaking moment. I never got the answer. As much as I wished that I could deceive him in this matter with my iron grasp control of my emotions, there was always a voice inside of me that kept asking _how you can hide your emotions from a creature designed to feel and manipulate them._ How to hide this feeling from an empath, from someone whose stare pierced my very soul, and left me naked and helpless, my mind void of all thought that wasn't of him. But if he knew about it he never said a word or acted on it.

Of course, it didn't help my resolution to keep things to myself, that every time I was near him I felt my emotions increase in intensity. I never got the answer to the why this happened only in the Cullen house. Maybe it happened to everyone who was close to him and his power. Those were the moments that I had to leave his presence in order to get a grip on my feelings; I would grab Edward and go to his room or else, I could expose myself.

Of course the Cullen's and Edward thought that my physical reactions to Jasper presence were just manifestations of my love for Edward. After all he never leaved my side and to everybody else we were madly in love. I let them think that, I let the lie become a part of my life and I was happy in living it, because I got to be close to my dream. I didn't think that I was in love my boyfriend anymore, even though I loved him, he was good, kind and gentle, and he loved me so much that I could see that I was his whole world.

But my love for him was tranquil and calm just like a lagoon of stilled shallow water, a familiar and brotherly feeling where only a little fire of desire burned. And only on my part, after all I was a horny hormonal teenager, and even if I was in love with another, Edward was still a beautiful man. Our almost complete absence of physical intimacy, due to his constant fear and his outdated morality and I must say it, lack of interest in it, made my own desire for him fade. The fire that burned in me, fed by my unrequited love and passion for Jasper, my frustration with Edwards behavior, and my anger with myself for maintaining a relationship with Edward only to be in contact with Jasper, were taking a high toll on me. I wondered how long until I cracked, since I was becoming increasingly more anxious and frustrated.

I know I was a liar and a cheater, someone who was betraying the whole family that had opened their arms to me, I felt so bad about it but I had no choice, I had to keep the lie going, because I didn't want to lose the familial love that I found in almost all of them. I couldn't bear not being close to my secret love, and even though I envied Alice for having what I longed for, she was my friend and I could not hurt her.

As time went by, and I was more at ease with the family and them with me, I watched Jasper and Alice, trying to discover the complexity of their relation. It was intimate, quiet, with rare declarations or manifestations of love. I also saw that the caresses and the kisses were always initiated by Alice, and that he just corresponded. Alice, who by the way, shared with me on more than one occasion juicy details of their sex life, and of how wonderful and powerful lover her husband was. This did nothing to stop my craving for him; at best it only increased it… and made me green with envy.

I became a voyeur, trying to pick up scattered pieces to complete a puzzle.

He related to me the same way as he did with the others. He was quiet, direct, gentle but never to close physical or emotionally. However, from time to time I could see a flash in his eyes when he looked at me and we were momentarily alone, a flash of what looked to me of pure hunger and delight. His lips would part and the tip of his tongue would make a quick appearance as if for a split second he was tasting something utterly delicious. At times like these an almost predatory expression would appear on his face, making me shiver from top to bottom. But as quickly as it was showed, that reaction was gone, and I was left with a tingling feeling of warm all over but wondering if it had been only my imagination.

I didn't like the distance imposed on us, I hated it, and I sometimes hated with passion the two people who enforced it the more. Edward was overwhelming me with his constant hovering and worry, and Alice seconded him in everything. I stopped having a life that didn't include them; I was not allowed to be alone, to have a single thought or act that wasn't watched closely by those two. They were suffocating me by pretending to protect me and make me live a normal human life.

So I started rebelling against my two jailors, I wanted more, more of life, more of love, more of everything, I wanted and ached for things that I could not even understand and to me it became evident that Edward could not give me what I wanted so desperately. Hell, I got to a point where I knew I didn't want it from him either.

Edward didn't understand the changes in me; he tried to minimize it, to disregard it as a normal thing due to my raging teenager hormones. His patronizing only infuriated me more, _how dare he_? Who was he, turned when he too was a teenager, to act so superior to me? How dare he pretend to always know what was best for me? He treated me like a child, a mindless being without a brain that he needed to protect and shield from all the evils of the world. Where Jasper was my sunny warm summer day, Edward became a rainy cold winter day.

That's when I began to understand, all of this was not about love or protecting, no, it was about control, Edward's control over my actions and movements, this was his way of loving me. I had to fight back and that's what I did. l would not let Edward transform me into his image of the perfect helpless dependent woman, that he longed for. Not anymore. I had to stand my ground and face them, impose my will in all that concerned me.

If I ever decided to relinquish the control of my life to someone else, it would be made out of love, it would be because I wanted to surrender to someone I respected, to belong mind, body and soul to another. _To Jasper_, my heart shot at me. Not because I had been manipulated or forced into it, like Edward was trying to do.

The inevitable explosion came today when, once again, Edward tried to stop me from going to his house and invite the other's to came to the river and have fun with us. His possessiveness was driving me crazy and I needed the company of the others to stop me from doing something I could regret later.

We had been arguing all week since he found out that Jasper's friends Charlotte and Peter were coming to Forks to visit with the Cullen's for a few days. It was a kind of an annual tradition to get together and a very welcome one for all of the others except Edward. It seemed that these friends of Jasper were human drinkers, but very civilized and gentle, and that they were dying, no pun intended, to meet me. Of course this sent Edward into a rage of epic proportions, as the drama queen he was.

But I stood my ground, I wanted to meet them and I had been assured by the whole family that they were very nice and respectful. I was in no danger, and even if I was I knew that any of the Cullen's would protect me. I could see that Edward's problem was that he would have to share me with others, and he couldn't accept that. I was so mad at him that I even decided to take my truck to his house instead of letting him drive me; I was getting so tired of him and the constant arguing.

The arguing continued in the house, only increasing in intensity when Jasper made his appearance and Edward had the nerve to blame him for all of our problems. That was what did it for me. I could not even think straight, but I knew that I couldn't take him anymore. I had reached my breaking point.

I felt a power and a confidence that weren't mine wash over me, my hidden love's gift, giving me the strength to say what had been stuck in my throat for so long. The only thing I could think was that Edward was attacking Jasper, who had done nothing wrong. And even when, for the thousand time this week Jasper tried to explain to him that there was no danger for me, still Edward didn't care and just stubbornly stood his indefensible ground.

I was seething with anger towards him, and in a spur of a moment I just said it, the words I had longed to say for so long to Edward but couldn't because I was afraid of the consequences. I suppose the presence of my love contributed to my outburst. Like I said when I was near him everything I felt was stronger.

The immense love that I felt for Jasper was my weakness. My decision to hide all of the emotions inside me leaked from my careful control, when I saw the sadness but also the understanding on Jasper's face at the situation he was witnessing. For a brief second my feelings were exposed before I could control them again. The worst was that I could not make myself feel guilty of my outburst against Alice and Edward. They had both been infuriating the last few months but for them to completely disregard my wishes and wants was too much for me. I couldn't take it anymore.

It took me a few minutes to take catch up what I had done. When it had, I realized that I was alone. I had just broken up with my boyfriend and given my best friend a serious warning to stay out of my life for a while. I would lose them as friends and as family; worst of all I would lose him, my Jasper, and the simple thought of it was unbearable. They could leave me and move from Forks and I would never see them again. I needed some comfort to cast away my fear as the new really settled in my world.

As I turned to my unrequited love, I saw him watching me carefully, in a way that made my skin crawl with butterflies. The intensity of his stare and the unfathomable look on his face did nothing to help me in my crashing world. I wanted him to hug me, to tell me everything would be alright. It was the first time we were really alone. But instead of the comfort and cuddling that my childish side wanted and longed, I was comforted by this man in front of me in the most mature way; his wise words had a way of making me understand my feelings, my changes, and see them as something natural.

That kind of comfort was new to me but not only did it make me feel a little better but made me see that my life might get better, that the Cullen's loved me no matter what and that they would be here for me. But, it was his words, the knowledge that he would always be here for me, that I was important to him. Never before had a few words had a bigger impact on my life. I could just live in the moment of those words for the rest of my life and die happy, because this would be the closest to a declaration of love that I could ever get from him, and it was enough for me.

In that moment I felt bold and empowered, I could live, a real life, they were not going to leave and my love was by my side right now; I had to make the most of it, so I decided to go to the river and ask them to come anyway.

To say that that trip was weird would be an understatement. Emmett's driving and the forest road was too much for my stomach, and Jasper's mood didn't help either.

He seemed to be openly flirting with me, dazzling me again and again until I lost all train of thought. When I felt his arms around me my body reacted in the most unfamiliar way: I was filled with desire like I had never known, my panties were drowned almost instantly. I was ready for him to take me wildly on the forest floor under the eyes of Emmet and Rosalie.

I wanted so badly to kiss him, his breath and the smell of his skin made me want to do things that I had never, ever, even thought could be done between a man and a woman. But I wanted him to do them to me. The sight of his tongue moistening his lips, and the wild and predatory look in his eyes doomed me. I wanted this man to take me, even if it was wrong, even if I was hurting two wonderful people, I wanted him to ravish me, to be his to do whatever he wanted.

Even if he was married to my best friend and I was betraying her I just couldn't care anymore. It was not important, I was selfish and a bad person, but I wanted for one time, one time only, to be on in shoes, to be her, to have what she had had for so long. I knew that if he made a move on me I would accept it, I would surrender and take whatever he could give me. After all Alice always said that he was very flirtatious with women. And then I could live the rest of my life with the memory. It would be worth the all of the consequences.

But maybe my expectations were unfounded, the kiss never happened and I could barely hide my anger. Once again I had been rejected by a man. Was there something wrong with me? Did I smell bad? _Was I not attractive enough_? That was probably it_; foolish Bella for thinking you could for once compare to Alice and please a man like Jasper_. So I tried to hide my disappointment and my anger and just enjoy the little I could have from him.

When we finally got to the beach I just knew that I was in a nightmare. It would be impossible to keep my feelings buried deep in me. Jasper was everything, he was everywhere watching, teasing, making me go insane with desire. He was all I could see and feel. I was mesmerized, hypnotized, watching, breathing, feeding and loving everything that man was.

His dominating, commanding posture, a part of him I didn't knew about, and that he had been showing me all day had me burning in want and need. I liked it a lot, it made me shiver with desire. The way he looked at me with those black eyes burning into my very soul, imprinting his mark on me, making me submit happily to him; it made me want to be his to command, I needed to obey his every whim and want. This want and need scared me a little. I had never felt like this before. I wanted to be his, mind, body and soul. He was the only one to whom I could, if he wanted and demanded it from me, surrender the control over my life and become his.

_Didn't I just break up with Edward precisely because he was too controlling of my life? Now I am drooling because Jasper does exactly the same thing and behaves even more dominating?_

Yes, I had to answer honestly to that question, because even when he spoke to me like no one had before, or he asked for me to do things no one had ever dared before, he still treated me like a woman worthy of his respect. The woman inside of me liked that and tried to fight the shame, the ignorance and the self-consciousness that is natural to me, legacy of a lifetime of shyness, to please him, to be more worthy of that god that exudes sex, power and authority.

My rational mind had long ago left me to go on vacation somewhere far away; it left me in a state of emotional and physical awareness of the being that stood alone on that beach with me. He was the world's most dangerous predator and I felt like I was his prey. I loved the way he treated me.

By then, all I wanted was to be his, to surrender to him and tell him to take me for himself and to do with me whatever he wanted. I was his to take, to love and to ravish. I would do whatever he asked me to do; I would be what he asked me to be. I knew from his reactions that he already knew what I felt for him, and that he was acting on it, and I let him; I was his anyway, even if he killed me due to his bloodlust it would be a wonderful death, here in this place, in the arms of my one love, surrounded by his body while he took from me all he wanted and I gave it to him without a second thought.

I was in heaven.

All too soon it was over; a phone call ended what I had dreamed for months on end. And then the arrival of Emmett and Rosalie ended the rest of my dream. It was fun our time at the beach, and I could not help but to steal a glance to Jasper whenever I could. He kept me close to him as much as he could. Most of that time was spent in his lap, but I couldn't find it in me to feel ashamed.

He was magnificent. A Greek god that could make a woman come only by looking at his perfect body. His toned body put even Emmett's to shame. He had legs that were exquisitely shaped, a strong chiseled upper body with defined muscles decorated by scars that only increased his fascination to my eyes, and skin that sparkled brilliantly. I wanted to kneel and worship him, and his face, _oh my god_, there are no words to express, to describe how beautiful he is, he had the face of an angel, a dark and deadly angel.

He was not a boy, oh no, this was all man; wild sex and death packed into one body. But he was more. He had a wisdom hidden in his eyes that was unparalleled, he had lived and felt and suffered and experienced life, this man, this vampire, was body and soul and mind, all functioning on its best. In him there was no self-loathing, no regret, and no anger towards what he was. He was perfectly fine and content with what he was on the inside as well as the outside. That was one of the most wonderful things about him.

And now, here I sit, on this floor; I had become his, without even noticing. I am afraid but I am hopeful, he said I was his now.

_But what does that mean_? I thought to myself

_And what about Alice and their marriage, she is my friend I don't want her hurt_. Even if I was pissed at her I really liked her.

_And what about Edward_? I am not in love with him, but I don't want to hurt him either.

_And the rest of the family what will be their reaction to this mess_? I had too many questions swirling around in my head and a lot time to kill before Jasper came with my answers. I had better start to prepare myself for what looked to be the first night of the rest of my life.


	12. Chapter 12

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and **reviews **my story. Finally I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan** , you are god send, and to the sweet **sioban 2006** for her help and knowledge.

**A/N Attention, this chapter contains scenes of violence and violent acts**; **if you are a minor or an overly sensitive person, please don't read.** This chapter is not a fluffy one. The Warlord Jasper Whitlock is a cruel, cold, manipulative and merciless man, even if he is in love. He demands complete respect, trust, obedience and absolute loyalty and fidelity from everyone that surrounds him.

Chapter 12

Jasper POV

The hunt was a very welcome distraction from the stress that my discussion with Rosalie and Emmett had set upon me. It was always thrilling and exciting to hunt an animal, a big predator if possible. The beast in me rejoiced at the absolute thrill of the kill, after all humans did not give much of a fight. I managed to grab a good size bear that filled my stomach, but that was a poor, meager replacement for what I really liked. _Just two more days, and you can definitely go back to human blood,_ I thought to myself, looking in disgust at my torn and bloody clothes. I knew I must have blood all over my body too; the bear had put up a good fight before surrendering to me. The good thing about it was that the fight allowed my beast to come out and thrive in the chase, in the tease and in the play.

_Humm, I wonder if Isabella would like to see me like this, fresh from the hunt. Maybe she would like to lick some of this blood out off my body_. The thought of my mate licking me made my beast purr in contentment and got me painfully hard. I put my hand over the bulge in my pants and rubbed roughly. The friction was amazing and I growled at the feeling. I imagined Isabella on her knees in front of me, completely naked with her hands tied behind her back, looking at me through her eyelashes, licking her lips and slightly opening her mouth in anticipation while she waited for me to put my cock on her mouth.

I couldn't wait anymore, the lust and desire that I had to repress all day long finally taking its toll on me. I unbuttoned my pants, slipped my swimming shorts down and grabbed my length in my hand growling loudly as I started to stroke up and down while I conjured in my mind images of my Isabella and what I will do with her once I claimed her as mine. With a roar that echoed all around the forest, I released until there was nothing more and I was completely spent. _This woman will be the death of me_, I thought to myself.

_Maybe she can do it to us tonight, we will teach her and she will learn to please us both as she is intended to, as our mate_, my beast purred, eagerly tempting the man in me. I shook my head to get rid of these dangerous thoughts while I pushed my shorts and pants up. I needed to get back to the house, to take a shower and to change my clothes, _soon Isabella will be waiting for me to get home to bathe and dress me_, I smiled at the thought of my beautiful mate waiting for me in the front porch of our house, that's how it was supposed to be between us, total and complete happiness and harmony. Hell, can you blame me? I still have a little of the southern man I was before my change in me.

I needed to deal with Alice now; Peter's words of warning sounded so definite and her strange reaction this morning at the house, while Isabella and Edward were fighting were really bugging me. She had acted like she knew something regarding Isabella's decision of splitting up with Edward, and in her desperation she had even risked her friendship with my Isabella. I knew she feared me too much to betray me, but she was overly jealous and irrational at times.

I knew I had to get rid of her, or I would never have a moment's peace with my mate due to Alice's jealousy, and I worried that in her jealousy she could lose her mind and forget about her own self preservation. But at the same time we, the Volturi and I needed to secure her gift. An idea suddenly came to my mind and in the spur of the moment decision, I had my phone in my hand and I was calling Alec from the Volturi.

At the 2nd ring he answered.

Ever since he learned how to use the new technologies that the 20th century invented, he was enchanted by all the electronic novelties so much that he was now the responsible for all the high tech investments lead by the Volturi.

"Hello sir, what can I do for you?" My phone number was on his priority list and he, like the good guard he was, knew his duty and knew that I was not to be kept waiting.

"Hello Alec, I was wondering if you could ask the Master's to lend me Ivan for a short period of time, as soon as possible". No need to waste any more time with superfluous talk. Ivan was a Volturi guard with a powerful gift, with a bite and a small amount of his venom a vampire would lose conscience for long periods of time, his gift could give me the time I needed to settle my affairs in order.

"He is not here, sir, he is at a leave of duty in Alaska, visiting the Denali's, and he is supposed to return tomorrow. I will ask the Master's, but we are in feeding time, can you hold for a minute?"

"Yes,I can, go ahead." in the background I could hear the screams of their food, it disgusted me a little, even though I was a human drinker myself and loved it, I have never liked my food to be served to me, I prefer the joy of the hunt in the empty streets of a big city, in the outdoors. What the Volturi did was almost like calling a restaurant and ordering a take out, too civilized for a rough vampire like me.

No more than 3 minutes later he was back, his voice strained, undoubtedly by his thirst.

"They said yes to your request, sir, but since he is just a few hours away from you, he will be dispatched immediately, he still has to come back tomorrow though, since he is to leave on mission shortly after his arrival. I will call him personally and tell him to go and to meet you. With your permission, sir, I will give him your phone number."

"Yes, you do that. I will be waiting for him at my cottage in 2 hours. Goodbye Alec."

"Goodbye, sir."

Keeping the plan that was forming inside my head out of my mind and avoiding making decisions in order to not alert Alice, I decided that it was time to go to the place I called home for the last 50 years and face the music.

Setting off towards the house at full speed I let my beast take control. I entered the house by the kitchen jumping through the open window, only to find the house completely empty. Rosalie and Emmett had maintained their promise and were not in sight, neither could I sense Edward. I sensed however Alice in our room, the anger, despair, jealousy, sorrow and pain coming from her almost bringing me to my knees, before I could gain control of myself and managed to block her emotions.

Knowing that now would be as good time as any to deal with this; I sped towards our room and flung the door open. The sight before me seemed to have come out of a war zone; it was quite stimulating for my inner beast.

There wasn't a single piece of furniture intact, the bed and the bed side tables were scattered around in little almost unidentifiable pieces. Even the picture frames that hung from the walls and my paintings were ruined behind recognition, the walls themselves had huge holes and huge pieces were completely ripped out from them. There were shredded clothes and shoes junking the floor. It looked like a tornado had just passed across that particular part of the house and devastated everything in its path.

Alice just stood there in the middle of the destruction; her eyes lost in nothing, her always carefully constructed face stained with the remains of makeup, the mascara and eye liner staining her cheeks. She rocked back and forth mumbling unintelligible words, her arms hugging her legs. She hadn't even noticed me in the room until I closed the door with my foot.

In a second she locked eyes with me hitting me with an immense amount of anger and pain:

"You bastard! How could you do this to me? You have leaded me on for half a century, but you won't get away with it. I took care of it." _What the fuck? This insignificant creature dares to challenge and to threaten me?_ I tried to maintain my calm. I would deal with that later but now I needed to know what she knew.

The anger, the determination and jealousy she radiated only spurred my beast further. The chaos and destruction were his element of choice and he loved it. I sauntered towards her growling lowly at the sight of the destruction and at the thought of her punishment.

"You have been busy, little one; care to share with us the motive for the sudden desire to redecorate this room, and care to enlighten me about your words?"The corner of my eye caught the sparkle of small piece of the wardrobe mirror lying on the floor, letting me see my completely black eyes and the sadistic smile on my face; my beast was out to play, and Alice was his toy. Still she gave no sign of wanting to answer me_; well we can't have that now, can we?_

_Oh, little girl we are going to have so much fun tonight, _the beast growled delighted to have an opportunity to play with someone free of the restraints I usually put him under.

In a split second my hand closed around her neck and she was flying across the room, hitting the wall next to the bathroom with so much force that it shattered completely. I laughed at the view of her surprised face, when she saw what had happened. _Now she will pay attention. _The surprise soon vanished to give place to anger making her bare her teeth and growl at me. The next second I was roaring in her face while she cowered against the remains of the wall, fear radiating of her trembling form when she saw my face and recognized that the beast had come out to play.

I walked to the closet beside her, the one that had my toys and I retrieved from inside my prized flogger. I looked at her while I weighed the toy in my hand. It was made of the finest black leather, with delicate silver drawings imbedded in a spiral across the cable. But what was unique about it was its end, delicate threads of thin titanium blades hanging from delicate tresses made of vampire hair. The strongest metal known on this planet and the most resistant fibers came together in a toy capable of actually causing pain and damage to vampire flesh.

The flogger had been a present from Marcus who was quite the craftsman, and a fervent follower of the BDSM life style, a human invention and a natural way of life for our dominant personalities. I smirked as I saw Alice's reaction to the simple view of my toy, I had never used this kind of devices on her, but she knew what they were and her terror reached new and delicious heights.

_Yes, tremble in fear little girl, hummm_, I groaned in pleasure as a feeling almost orgasmic shoot through me as I felt her fear and anguish.

I walked towards the bedroom door and turned to her, telling her to follow me with a nod of my head. I knew she would follow me; she was too scared to not follow one of my orders. I could not interrogate her here in the house, someone could come and interfere. I ran fast, with her behind me, to an old cabin hidden in the woods. I kept it in good condition, in case of an occasional visit. The rest of the family did not know about it and it was in a very isolated place, guarantying me enough privacy for what I intended to do. I opened the iron doors and stepped aside allowing her to step in. I closed the doors and I leaned against it, crossing my arms in front of me and watched her as she attempted to find a way out of this predicament.

"Care to explain?" I asked her my eyes surely burning her with the black of my beast, my hands idly playing with the flogger.

"I am sorry about the destruction, I kind of lost my control tonight but I will fix everything before the other's return, I promise", she was trying hard to reign on her emotions but at the same time she was stalling, I could feel her determination, her hurt and her sorrow, but not her remorse.

In a split second I had her pinned with her face against the wall, I put my mouth next to her ear and I whispered:

"Don't move a muscle Alice, it will be worse if you do, start counting" I took some steps back and hit her on her bottom with the flogger, hard. She screamed at every stroke and I felt her pain, but she counted the five strokes with a shaky voice.

I waited a few minutes for her to stop shaking and to control her sobs, as I watched her pain subside a little.

"Stop stalling Alice, and stop lying, you are going to tell me everything that got you like that, why did you tried to prevent Isabella from breaking up with Eddie, what did you mean when you say you took care of things?" she lowered her eyes to the ground and started fidgeting with the hem of her blouse.

"I…I don't…I was just…," she dared to look at me and flinched with what she saw in my eyes.

"TALK, NOW! Before I make you scream in pain, so much pain that you will wish you were really dead, you know how I deal with betrayal, what you just had was a small taste of what is to come" I snarled at her, making her jump. I was so tired of her and I had better things to do tonight.

She immediately adopted the submissive pose that she knew that my beast loved, she lowered her eyes to the ground and kept them there, all in hopes of calming me down_, that is useless girl_. I watched and waited while she gathered all her strength and courage. Taking a deep unneeded breath she started, determination swirling around her.

"I know…everything about you and me, and Bella." She let out a sob, the heartbreak flowing in my direction.

"How could have I been so blind, how did I not see this?" she whispered throughout her sobs, almost as if to herself.

"What do you think you know? You know that I will feel if you lie to me and you know what that means for you," I snarled making her whimper and I felt her fear but I also felt her hesitation, _that just won't happen_, without warning I brought her body near my lips and bit down on her shoulder, pumping some of my venom into her. _That will make her loosen her tongue;_ I smiled at her screams of pain.

"Speak now woman, I am waiting and you know I am not a patient man, start from this morning." I let her go; her legs just couldn't hold her up and she just tumbled to the floor.

Her fear now was so strong that it seemed that there was a 3rd presence with us in the house. It was thrilling and it fed my beast in delicious ways,_ she is almost broken, it takes so little with this one, _I smirked at my thought.

"This morning I was in the back garden thinking about us and I had a vision… I saw Edward alone for eternity, in terrible pain, his mind completely destroyed…"she trailed off, taking deep breaths, her physical pain amplified by the pain of seeing her beloved brother destroyed.

I did nothing but to nod for her to continue.

"The vision scared me by its clarity; I then sensed that Bella and Edward were already in the house and that they were arguing. I searched for a vision of Bella then, but the only image I saw of her, blurry and foggy, she was wearing what seemed to be a white dress, and she was walking down an aisle. She walked right past Edward, Esme and Carlisle without even sparing them a look. Edward just sobbed and reached for her hand, trying, imploring her for a touch, the rest of us were not in sight. I saw her walk past him like he was nothing; she reached out to hold and kiss another hand that had a scar between the index and thumb fingers. Then everything went black." I looked down on my right hand and I smiled, there shining in silver against the white of my hand there was a scar exactly placed where she had seen it, a souvenir from a vampire that had been hard to kill.

"I knew immediately that it was your hand, but I couldn't understand why was she holding and kissing your hand, rejecting Edward and causing him so much pain" she paused for a second to gently pass her finger's over the new scar on her neck.

"Keep going" I encouraged her, my voice hard as steel.

"When I heard her say that she wanted some time from him, that's when it all came together. She was leaving Edward and he would be miserable for the rest of his life and, with him, the rest of the family. I had to stop that, make her see reason, I just cannot see my brother in this kind of pain, and could not let her have you. I had to try and make her see."

"Why did you attach yourself so much to him? You knew we were not to spend eternity here with them; we had a mission with this, an objective to live this life. You knew the plan from the beginning and you let yourself get involved?" I knew already that she was very fond of all of the Cullen's, but she would not be allowed to be on their side.

"I am not as cold and heartless as you, I have lived with these good people for half a century, and they have become my family."She spat venomously a tiny sparkle of determination giving her courage to confront me.

"And does that family take your loyalty? Maybe I should start to question your commitment to my cause, Alice. Or maybe I should just tell them how you have been deceiving them for 50 years. It seems to me that you may have forgotten your mission and I know for sure that you forgot your place." Her courage immediately shrunk back to her tiny body, and her fear and shame grew exponentially. She knew what happened to someone that didn't deserve my trust and she knew Carlisle wouldn't easily forgive her betrayal and lies.

"No. No, that is not what I meant, not at all, you are mistaken." She was frantic now, trying to grab my arms as if that physical contact would help her case. I stopped her roughly by shoving her into the ground.

"You are not to touch me without my permission, you know that, girl." I hissed at her.

"Please forgive me, do not doubt my loyalty to you or to the Whitlock House, or even to our cause, I just happen to love them as my family. I know it's wrong but I can't help it. But my love for you has no competition; my loyalty to you has no competition. You are my everything." She even dared to send my way a burst of love and trust. It was easy to disregard that.

"Maybe so, but you you're in on the game since the beginning, you knew what our intentions were and you were strongly advised against allowing personal feelings to interfere with your judgment and your mission. I want and demand professionalism at all costs and loyalty to my house. Your personal feelings for me, however, are not welcome, not now and not ever, you know that, and you better stop stalling because I have somewhere else to go tonight."I was wasting too much time with her, and I hoped she would fall into my trap.

As I said these words I was hit with a huge wave of jealousy and anger, and as those feelings washed over my body I smiled widely.

"So, now we get to the point, don't we? Why does it bother you that I do not return your feelings? I never did and that has never bothered you before. I have never loved you and you know it, you accepted it, you know very well that for me you are only a part of my guard that happens to share my bed. You knew from day one that I was not in love with you and that you were not my mate. You also knew that all of this time I have been waiting for her, and that the day she came along I would dismiss you at once. Why do you keep deluding yourself like this?"Not that I cared about her delusions, but I needed know what she had done to betray me.

"Because I love you, and I always had hoped that you would return my feelings. I know we can make this work…"I interrupted her with a snarl.

"I will never love you; I will never feel anything else towards you. You were meant to warm my bed and to pleasure me. I married you so that you could provide me with a cover story; you did it all but now I have no further need of you for that, in fact the divorce paper's have already been signed. Now start talking unless you want a repeat of my last punishment." At my words hurt and pain spread through her.

"I will tell you everything, just please don't bite me again." I didn't even answer her pleas. I just glared at her. She lifted her hands to clean the venom that had gathered in her eyes and she started.

"I saw a vision of you talking to Emmett and Rose in the forest. I saw all the awful things you said to them, about me, about Bella and about Edward. It is only Isabella's presence that prevents me from seeing the future; everything is clear when she isn't concerned. I just couldn't believe you have hidden all that from me. How can you do that to me? You are married to me. I have given all of me to you. My body bears the marks of your passion and of your wrath. I have killed for you and I have submitted myself and my body to disgusting, degrading things for you. I won't let you have Bella so that you can destroy her just because you think she is your mate, in spite everything I love her, but you are mine." At the end of her rant she was already yelling at me. Her control was slipping away due to her pain, anger and frustration, allowing me to feel the utter jealousy that was eating her. I could feel that her concern for Isabella although genuine was nothing compared with her jealous and possessive nature.

"I am no one's, I belong to no one. I don't think Isabella is my mate, I KNOW she is. You dare threaten me? You are nothing to me, just a pawn in my game. You are not even good enough to keep my interest in you. I am not, nor will I ever be, yours. You made all of those things that disgust you so much because you wanted to do them, I have never coerced you."I snarled in her face spiting venom.

"As for your statement that you won't allow my mate to be mine, there is nothing you can do about it, and if you try anything I will kill you. Don't you dare to betray me or the Whitlock House. Isabella is mine and will forever be mine. Unlike I did with you I will love her in ways you can't even start to comprehend, I will show her things that your weak little mind cannot even begin to understand. She will be my empty canvas and I will paint beauty with her heart, body and soul. She is my soul mate, and you, you are nothing but a plaything."

"Now, and tell me the truth, what have you done against me?"I knew there was more, more that she was too afraid to tell me, and I could sense that that fear was growing more and more, but underneath it all there was a sensation of triumph. I shook her hard, my nails digging into the flesh of her neck until she choked out.

"I hinted to Edward that you had feelings for her and I showed him my visions a few hours back. That's why he wasn't at the house, he run to think about he is going to do." She choked as I was still holding her up the wall, her neck in my tight grip enabling her from talking. My feet were soaked with the venom that had leaked from the wound that I had inflicted upon her. I could feel that she was still in considerable physical pain even though the wounds had already sealed.

I saw her eyes take on that unfocused look and I knew she was lost in a vision; this one only lasted a few seconds and her triumph soared. I squeezed her neck harder for her to speak; she made an effort to speak through her sobs and her pain.

"He has made his decision, he is going to fight for her, and the outcome of that fight is blurry. You can't have her, he is going to try and save her from you. He truly loves her not like you! You will destroy her like you did to me. You are the real definition of a monster." The roar that left my throat at her defiance of my mating shook the very foundations of the cottage, making some debris to fall from the ceiling, and it took me a few minutes to find my voice and articulate speech due to my rage.

"Oh, Alice, you have no idea of how much of a monster I can be. I will not destroy Isabella I will love her with everything that I am. I wished we had ended this in a different way, but you made some mistakes that have made me lose my trust in you. Now I 'am going to protect my woman and later I will decide what I am going to do with you and Edward." I spoke almost to myself but I knew she would hear me.

Panic instantly started to rise in her, blocking all other feelings. I decided to continue to express my thoughts out loud.

"I can kill you right now; after all you dared to betray me, worked against me, and threaten me. That is treason to my house as Iam its leader, and under the new rules of our world you can be put to death without a trial. Or I can kill you later, after a trial that could be an example for all that dare go against me. Of course I could delay this for a significant amount of time, and hand you to the single male members of the guard as a play thing." I laughed at the panic that she showed in her face and the terror that consumed her, she tried to speak but my hold on her throat was too tight.

I sensed someone outside, waiting, from its emotions I knew without a doubt of who it was.

"Come in Ivan."


	13. Chapter 13

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and **reviews **my story; you give me the incentive to go on. I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan** , I owe you big darling.

Chapter 13

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

The 6'6 vampire that was our torture expert, walked in the house, already taking in the scene in front of him, making Alice sob even lauder, her fear rising as realization set in.

Ivan, although handsome like our entire race, with his face molded in sharp but attractive angles, his long curly black hair and his intense red stare was very agreeable to human sight but to a vampire he was heavily disfigured by his many combats. His apparition in his immaculate black robe contrasting with the golden crest of the Volturi was enough to send fear to the dead cold hearts of all vampires.

"Good evening, sir. As requested here I am. I believe your holding what I must take care of." I liked him for his professionalism.

"Good evening Ivan, thank you for coming and interrupting your leave. I need you to take care of this for me, for tonight only. Tomorrow morning I will relieve you and you can be on your way." He nodded walking towards me and taking Alice from my grasp.

"No Jasper, please, no, not him, please, I am sorry, I am sorry, I will do anything…" she pleaded; her desperation was so strong that I needed all my control to block it.

"It's too late Alice, you know that in my book, excuses aren't given, they are avoided. It's too late for you. Submit to your fate and wait for my decision and you may live to see another day, fight me, and this was your last mistake."

Defeat flooded her and I knew I had won.

"See you tomorrow sir, Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nella pace." He said bowing his head in respect.

I nodded while I corresponded to the salute of our race.

Avoiding making decisions about Alice's destiny I left the house. As soon as I closed the door I heard Alice's scream of pain before I felt her slipping into unconsciousness, _damn his bite works quickly. _I thought to myself.

Leaving the cottage behind I ran in the direction of the only place I wanted to be tonight. I knew that now that Alice was unconscious I had a lot more freedom to do what I wanted to do. I had taken her betrayal seriously and I now knew that Edward was going to be a problem, but even with his gift I was more than capable of taking him down.

Alice's betrayal had touched a soft spot within me, even though I was not in love with her, and most of the time I wanted her dead at my hands, I never thought she could deliberately and out of pure jealousy and possessiveness, betray me. Peter's warning sounded now more than ever true, I needed to break her and that was what I did. But I had yet to get her out of my way for good. Under the law I could just kill her and be done with it, _but what about her gift? We need her gift, _my beast snarledat me.

The idea that had sprung in my head after I had spoken to Emmett and Rosalie seemed the best option, it was heartless and cruel, but guaranteed for me the best results. I could secure her gift and at the same time I would get rid of her. I could not find in me a tiny bit of remorse, by betraying my trust in her she deserved whatever fate I decided to give her, and maybe I could even make an example of her for the others. I would show everyone that no one was above the law.

Suddenly my senses detected a strong scent around my love's house_, Edward_, my beast snarled; the trace was recent, one hour tops. My dead cold heart wanted to leap; had he been with my woman? Had she disobeyed my orders? That was not good, I followed the trace and just as I expected it stopped under her window. Without much effort I jumped the tree near her window, only to come face with my beauty deep in sleep in her bed, only in her panties as I had told her.

The sight of her so pure, innocent and vulnerable made my mouth water and my undead heart to swell with love. This exquisite creature was mine. I took in her slender form to discover what had been hided from me by her bikini this afternoon, her breasts were round and perky, not big but big enough for me to wrap my hand around them while I played with her, with light brown little nipples erected from the cold night, tugging from a little areola_. She was so just fucking perfect_.

But, no matter how much I wanted to go and wake her up to show her who she belonged with, I still had to verify if Edward was nearby, if that was the case things would not end well for him. He had been told by my mate to stay away. I checked the window, it was locked, and after I carefully sniffed it I could not smell any traces that he had touched the window. But he had been near, nearer than I wanted.

Never taking my eyes away from her sleeping form I picked up my phone from my pocket and I dialed my true brother, the only person that could hold an answer for me.

"I was expecting you…" My answering growl interrupted him, but he continued undisturbed.

"Jasper, things must happen the way they are supposed to. For everything in this life, there is a definite path that we must walk to get the things the way we want them. I only see the outcomes of things, you know that. All of this must happen so that the outcome comes favorable to you in the end. And the end that I see is one of you happy with your mate."

"You all knowing bastard, you knew Alice would betray me" I growled at him. "What is Edward going to do to get her back?" I was going insane with anger and rage, _I will kill that boy, burn every single piece of his body slowly before his own eyes, better yet I will give him to the darkest of vampires to be their pet,_ and my beast was furiously clawing its cage in a fury that made me see red.

"I don't know my brother, but whatever he is going to do, it doesn't change the outcome. She will despise him with every fiber of her body and she will love you with a love so great that will outshine everything that you have ever dreamed."

I was speechless and this was something that didn't occur often. All the red haze and fury calmed, and my beast purred. It was the first time he unveiled the future that I had dreamed for a hundred years, and to know that it was going to be a reality made me humble.

"Now go and do what you must do, before going up that window and love that wonderful woman that was made for you. We will be there Sunday to help you with the rest. Remember that whatever happens, this destiny will not change and try to keep your cool. Your woman will need it when the time comes."

"Thank you brother, I…" I was interrupted; I knew that he knew that expressing my truest feelings without using my gift was hard for me.

"I know, no sweat, I will always be here to cool that hot temper of yours and to ease your insecurities. Ah, and your divorce is already taken care of, so you are officially single now." He disconnected with a laugh before I could replay his sassy remarks, _the bastard_, I thought with a smile. He had managed to put me in good spirits again. I had only one more thing to do tonight.

Dialing fast I waited for the Volturi to answer. I was still perched in a tree in front of my love's house, getting a wonderful view of her naked sleeping form, while at the same time I mused that I still hadn't showered or changed clothes.

"Hello Jasper, how are you?" Aro said with a smile on his voice.

"Hello Master, I am fine thank you."

"Your second in command called us this afternoon with your message, Is there a problem with the progress of our plans?"Always the same with Aro, this new vampire society had been his idea in the first place, and he had moved heaven and earth to make it happen, so he was always wary and afraid that something could endanger his baby.

"No Master, everything is going according to the plan and I would like to invite you and the guard as well as my brother's in arms for the inauguration of the Montana Complex, the next 1st of September, and at the same time I would like you, my master's to bear witness to my bonding ceremony with my mate." I could barely hide the pride and satisfaction off my voice. The bonding ceremony, only performed between true mates, was the vampire equivalent of marriage.

A round of laughter and congratulations interrupted my rapport, making me frown, I didn't handle well all of this civil politeness.

"My dear Jasper, is that so? You are finally and after all of this time abandoning the singles rank, it is a pity but if you are happy, we are happy too." Caius said in the velvety voice that used to make me horny as a horse. But now that I had my mate there was no appeal, this thought made me wary, damn I was hooked. And I also could detect the hint of amusement in his voice, he was only teasing me, he too was very happy with his mate and loved her to death, no matter how many sexual adventures he had.

"Well Master, you know how it goes, once we find them we keep them, and mine as escaped me for too long." They were well aware of my situation, and often Marcus had offered to come and deal with Edward himself.

"I would like to ask you, Master Marcus, if you could perform the ceremony for me. As you know my mate is still human and will remain so for a little while longer, but I want her bonded to me as soon as possible, and I couldn't think of no one else to do it but you." It was true; the quietest of the Volturi leader was my mentor and savior. I saw him almost like a father and he had my complete respect and devotion. He had the quiet power within the triumvirate, he didn't often show his power, but when he did everyone listened and obeyed. I knew he also saw me almost like a son, the son he never had.

"I will be honored, my son, finding our one true love is the greatest blessing in our eternity. I will be there to perform the ceremony, to give you my blessing and to meet your mate, is she already marked and taught on our ways?"

"No sir, I will be doing the first marking tonight and she will start her training in a few days, you know how much and for how long I have been waiting."

"Yes, we know and we wish you well, and as Marcus has already said, we will be there to meet and to honor you and your mate." Caius said with a smile in his voice, I knew that they were glad I had finally claimed what was mine.

"Thank you Master's, your presence and blessing means a lot to me."

"Maybe we can use the inauguration and the bonding ceremony to announce to the North America covens and nomads the creation of a new enforcer of the laws for this continent; it would be the perfect time if we could make the arrangements for everyone to be there, after all the Whitlock House is the first to be operational and it is the perfect moment to make the announcements." Aro was always trying to take advantage of the situations, I didn't hold it against him, that was just who he was.

"It's a good idea, Aro, but the bonding ceremony must be the central event, after all it's not every day that our most feared warlord finds his mate and bonds with her. I will not allow anything to spoil their happiness. The announcements will take place later after the ceremony. Sulpicia and Athenodora will arrange all on our side, do you need help with anything?" Marcus said in a tone that didn't allow any discussion from his brother's, who immediately voiced their approval.

"I don't think so, the girls in the guard have been eager for quite some time now to organize things; I think I will allow them the preparations." I laughed at that; in fact they had been frantic about this, well, as much as they could have been without raising suspicions or provoking a vision with Alice.

"Jasper, I am very happy for you, but what about Alice? Now that you have your mate, she will not take that lightly." Caius said worried.

"My divorce has been settled and she is now aware of the truth. As expected, she didn't take it well and I had to deal with things my way. The problem is that she thought she could prevent my mating by betraying me. I will deal with the consequences of this and the aftermath with the Cullen's. I didn't kill her but it is impossible now to keep her a member of my guard as my trust in her is gone. Under the law I can order her death, but I now that we will need her, so I put the case in your hands, I am giving her to you to do as you please."

"That is most unfortunate indeed, how much of a risk to our security is she? If she managed to betray you out of jealousy and she was in love with you, she cannot be trusted to join the Volturi either." Aro felt cautious, his desire of securing her gift warring with the danger that she could represent.

"Wait Aro," I heard the quiet voice of Marcus join the discussion, "I believe we can assure her fidelity. If we sever her ties with the Cullen's and their allies; she will be alone, she will have no one to help her, no coven, no family and no mate. We will take advantage of that to lure her here; I believe Jasper once told us that she is terrified of being alone. I will take her for myself. Chelsea and I will make her see sense and accept everything that has happened to her. She will give us her loyalty."

"You want her as a mate?" Caius and Aro sounded astonished, as was I. I knew Marcus had been looking for a female for quite some time, _but Alice_?

"No my brother's, not as a mate. Didyme was my mate and she died, I don't want another one, but this girl pleases me as a woman. I am feeling alone and the sporadic adventures mean little to me. I have wanted a permanent female to share my life for a while now, and this one is perfect, she is smart, gifted, beautiful, passionate and all alone in the world. Since Jasper doesn't want her anymore, I believe this is the best solution for all our troubles."_I will be damned if I expected this_.

"But Marcus, you know she is strong willed and in love with our Jasper, even Chelsea may not be able to break that devotion and sense of liberty." Aro objected, always the pragmatic one of them.

"I will break all that, she doesn't know it yet, but I am her future. She will come to terms and will find contentment in this life and some happiness. As a matter of fact we both have a lot in common, having loved and lost, and I know she will end up seeing things my way, because the alternative is not a good one for her." I could sense the smile in Marcus voice, a certainty that no one dared to contest. For me, this unexpected solution for my problem was good; deep down I was glad I didn't have to kill her. She however, would not be so happy, once she wakes up and sees a vision of her future set in stone, as Marcus companion for eternity.

"Is this an acceptable solution for you Jasper? After all she was your companion for a long time".

"Yes, master Aro, it is good for me, we get to keep her gift, I get my peace and she keeps her life, it's a good deal."

"Very well, I am going to leave right away to recover Alice, with Chelsea and Demetri, I believe we will be there sometime tomorrow; I guess that is why you needed Ivan? "Marcus chuckled at this, knowing me too well.

"Yes, Master Marcus, she was being a little difficult and I needed her out of commission for a few hours, she is not aware of this." She was in for a big surprise.

"Good, that is very good. I will take care of this from now on, you can concentrate on the other things you have to do, and I will be with you when you make the announcement to the family."

"It will be my pleasure to have you here, Master Marcus."

"Well then, that's all, we will speak if anything else happens. Jasper, keeps us informed if there are any changes in the plans or if you need anything. If not, we will be there with most of the guard and your brother's in arms the next 1St of September. Signoras Sulpicia and Athenodora send their best wishes and say that they can't wait to meet your girl."I could sense the curiosity behind Aro's tone and the giggles of their mates in the background, they were curious about my mate.

"Very well Master, thank you for your offer and please send my thanks to the Signoras Volturi for their kind words, please tell them that I am sure Isabella will love to meet them too."

"Good bye Jasper. Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nella pace." They said in unison.

"Goodbye Masters. Together for eternity in law, justice and peace." I said. I ended quickly the call. I knew that they were my rulers and I really am devoted to them, but _Fuck_, I was hard as a rock, had had a hectic night, and I had a wonderful smelling virgin woman waiting for me to be properly claimed.

Finally, all of my duties for this day had been achieved satisfactorily. Now I could concentrate on my mate. Just for precaution I made another run around my love's house, I sensed nothing out of the ordinary, only Edward's fading scent. I would deal with that in the morning. _Let's claim our mate_, my beast whispered languorously.

I headed for her front door; my claiming of my mate would start by me entering her front door. I used my skills at breaking and entering that I learned in the eighties with the New York gangs. _Hell ya, those were a few fun weeks_, the beast snarled at me, I had to agree; it took me 2 whole weeks of sex, blood and amazing teachings with the finest outlaws, to learn everything I needed. For the first time I went inside my love's house and I halted my breathing. The inside was modest, but cozy and comfortable at the same time. Way distant from the opulence of the Cullen's but much more to my liking. It had the homey feeling that I loved. I am after all a simple man.

Widening my senses to encircle the house I could sense two strong heartbeats, Isabella and her father, him deep asleep, no doubt tired after a hard day's work and my love lightly dozing. I opened my sense of smell and my throat was immediately engulfed by ragging flames. _Fuck,_ my woman and her father had almost the same scent, it was insane the fragrance in this house. I stilled my will and disciplined the vampire in me; I would not hurt my mate or her father and I would not allow my beast to hurt them either.

It took me a few minutes to discipline my thirst and get used to the maddening scent. My beast was safely tied up with the blood of the bear, the outlet that punishing Alice had given him and the knowledge that finally we were going to have our mate.

When I felt myself in control, I went upstairs taking my time to scan the pictures in the walls; most of them were of my mate and her parents. One of them made me laugh quietly. She was maybe 7 years old and smiling at the camera; already she was a beautiful little thing, even without her front teeth. I made a mental note to send someone to make copies of these photos so that my mate could have visual memories of her past. Most of us weren't this lucky.

Standing in front of my mate's bedroom, I grabbed the door knob, and let myself in, closing it silently behind me. The room was dark, but my mate almost glowed in the silver moonlight coming from the window.

Just for precaution I sent her father a heavy dose of lethargy. Now she and I could be as loud as we wanted._ And she will scream in pleasure,_ my beast purred.

Inside her little bedroom and with the window closed her scent was overwhelming, I felt my will wavering, the thirst taking over me. _Stop breathing and open the fucking window_, I heard myself in the last layers of my rational mind. In a split second I had the window open and had my head outside taking deep gulps of fresh air. Once again my discipline and long years of training took over, and my control subdued my thirst for my love's blood. I turned around and forced myself to breath, feeling that with every breath I took it was becoming easier to resist.

Ten minutes later the ragging flames had subsided to a hot burn, while I kept saying over and over again in my head, _she is mate, not my meal; she is my woman, my whole existence, my love not an easy fuck in the frenzy of feeding._

Once the burn subsided, I opened my eyes and watched the woman who had been made for me.

My wildest dreams had not given her justice, and my earlier ogling on the beach was not enough. Her name could be perfection, because she symbolized it. Her long legs were creamy and smooth, ending in a wonderfully tight apex that no man had yet seen open, and at that exact moment her body was sending my way the call of the mating, as it recognized my presence. It made my own body react, by making my own scent stronger. I let that call submerge me as I felt my member straining against my jeans and felt its head start to leak with the marking liquid, called by our race as the _aqua di amore_, the water of love.

I felt my body's mating glands waking up and working for the first time in my life; the palms of my hands became wetter and warmer, as did my torso, my back and my legs, in a way that could be compared to a human man sweating. This wave of _aqua di amore_ extended itself slowly across my whole body, concentrating especially on my sex, preparing it to mark my true mate with my scent, another proof that she was mine only. At the same time that my body was waking up to the mating call and I was enveloped in a wave of euphoria, joy and happiness never before known to me. I felt that my beast had calmed, knowing what was about to happen and I started to purr.

Finally the universe was going to be set right.

A/N **Italian - Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nella pace - Together for eternity in law, justice and peace. **Volturi salute used by the entire guard and the leaders, warlord's included.

**Italian - **_**aqua di amore**_** – the water of love** – liquid produced by a male vampire, only once in his life, intended in marking his true mate with his scent. Similar to a man's sweat. When placed inside the woman's body through the sexual act and the man's ejaculation, it will make the marking of the female permanent.


	14. Chapter 14

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer, I own however the plot of this story.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and **reviews **my story; you give me the incentive to go on. I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan** , without her this story would not be the same.

Chapter 14

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

The soft, quiet noise that came from my chest was enough to wake my beloved from her light sleep. She gasped and sat strait up on the bed, lighting her bedside lamp, her heart hammering like a thunder storm, I could sense her fear enhancing her already delicious smell. I sent her a wave of calm, while I cooed to her from my spot at the end of her bed.

"Shhhhh, sugar, it's only me" she looked at me with her doe eyes that made me want to jump up and ravish that innocence. Slowly, she calmed after realizing who I was.

"J…Jasper…sorry I fell asleep…" She stammered and I could sense her growing nervousness and shame at her state of undress, I smiled as she nervously lifted her arms to cover her exposed breasts. I didn't like it, that she was hiding her body from me, but for now I would let it pass, I knew she was still pure and never had been with a man before, or had even undressed for one. Before the night was over she would be begging me to touch and to take her and her shame and unease would start to fade.

"It's alright honey, you did well, and you were tired and needed to rest. I am happy that you followed my orders and you are allowing me to see your beautiful body. It took me longer that I expected to come to you, and I had to hunt, as you see" I smiled and gestured to my torn and bloody clothes to try to diffuse her nerves. I saw her eyes widening as she took in the state of my clothes and the blood on them. I also felt her desire for me and it turned me on to no end. I _guess the idiot never let her see him after a hunt_, I smirked at the thought. _So many firsts with our mate, from now on we will come to her always like this, _the beast whispered.

"Come here sugar, come here and touch me, feel what is going to be yours from now on."I said to her while I listened to her heart beat pick up in excitement.

She gasped at my words, and obeyed to my utter delight. Slowly she crawled over the bed in my towards me, reaching out her tiny warm hand to touch my bloodied chest while she knelt in front of me. I had no words to describe how it made me feel having Isabella kneeling in front of me, submitting and obeying me. I felt like the king of the world, I wanted to roar to show my domination over her, so that everyone knew she was MINE. Without thinking about it I started to growl lowly in my chest and I grabbed her hand that was reaching towards me and put it on my stomach. The heat waves from her touch made me feel like the place she touched was on fire and I would be burned to ashes. _Maybe we can love her while she is human; we could fell that heat at least once before we turn her, think what she might feel like, _the beast purred in my soul, and I was starting to agree with him. Shaking my head to clear my mind of these dangerous thoughts and feelings, I returned my attention to the beauty kneeling in front of me.

She was nervous, confused and ashamed, but at the same time I could sense the longing, the lust and that little stream of love, leaking from that hidden place in my mate. _That could not be, _I decided. I bent over her, and lifted her face with a finger so that she could look into my eyes.

"Isabella, stop hiding your feelings for me, I can sense that you are hiding them, but it leaks from where you have hidden them, I want to know everything that I make you feel. You are not to hide your feelings from me never again, do you understand? I am your mate and I will not allow you to have secrets to me, you will be always open to me in every way, do you understand?" I spoke softly to her, but I put all my authority in my tone.

She lowered her eyes for a second before locking them in mine. She started to blush as her feeling of inadequacy and insecurity raised. Growling lightly at this, I placed my hands in the back of her neck and brought her closer to my body, embracing her tightly letting my narcotic breath fan all over her face before licking her lips. That would eliminate any possible resistance to me.

I could feel the mating glands working on my body, making my scent more aggressive and appealing to my mate. I watched as she inhaled and how her eyes got heavier, and her breath became more labored as I felt her lust, desire and longing spike, at the new intensity of my scent. _She is such a good mate, it will be so easy to train her, she is so responsive_, the beast in me growled lowly.

"Now sugar, unleash your true feelings for me to feel. I can't wait any longer to claim you as my mate and mark your body as mine so that all other male vampires knows whom do you belong. I know we should wait to do that after we talk, but really I can't and I won't wait anymore to make you mine." I started to feed her lust, determination and confidence while taking away all the negative feelings, unworthiness, shame, fear that even in the haze that my breath had her in, were slipping through her as my words were understood.

As if the walls of a dam had been open, I was flooded with love, pure, amazing, innocent, wild love. I felt my knees almost buckle at the sheer intensity of it. I tightened my hold on my woman without even realizing it, she loved me, and she was in love with ME.

This was how she felt and it was amazing. This was not the love of a day, or the love caused by my manipulation, no, this was stronger, it was big, it was almost as intense as mine, a vampire's love. _My little minx has been in love with me for a while now_. I thought to myself. This amazed me; she had managed to beat me, in my own game_. Truly a mate made for us_, my beast purred as her hided feelings were absorbed by my very soul.

I growled lowly to her as I soaked in her love for me, feeling her lust rise, and the delicious scent of her arousal and of her mating pull to swirl around us. She loved me and was mine. I could start her training as my mate right away. Pulling her away from my body took all I had, but I managed to do it. I smiled down at her while I ran my finger through her red checks.

"Thank you darling, your love is most welcome. I feel the same for you, for a long time now and I can't wait to make you mine. Don't hide your feeling ever again from me; do you realize we are mates? That we belong together for eternity?"I took back the manipulation of her feelings and I growled when I felt her confusion and disbelief.

"Don't you dare doubt me or my feelings ever again, Isabella. It is one of my rules. I will always tell the truth to you. I will never lie to my mate. And that is you, either you accept it or not, but I have a feeling that after tonight you will believe it." I told her seriously.

"But Jasper…"I stopped her by putting a finger on her lips, I was tired of talking.

"Now is not the time to talk, now is the time to learn, my darling. For you to learn about life as a vampire's mate. I want to get acquainted with your body and show you what pleasure is all about. And now it's the perfect time to teach you, my love."I smile wickedly when her apprehension and fear showed on her face, because her feelings were saying otherwise. She was excited.

"Isabella, in my world, the world that you are going to be a part off very soon after you are turned, a woman is expected to take care of the needs of her man. As you know I am a man born and raised in the south in a time when a woman is considered not inferior but more submissive to the man, who was the head of his house and family. Women in those times were supposed to obey without question, even though their opinions and desires were often taken in consideration." I looked at her, and sensed her emotions, even thorough the mating haze she was paying attention. I smiled lazily at her and my smile widened smugly when I heard her heart miss a beat because of it, she was okay, and I continued.

"When we are turned, as male vampires we are very dominant and territorial and our possessive nature, which comes from our animalistic side, comes out frequently. In our case my vampiric nature and the natural characteristics of my own possessive personality, which comes from my human times, make me a very territorial, jealous and possessive man, who will demand that you are very obedient as my mate." I waited for understanding to dawn on her. Her heart beat was going wild, and for a moment I was afraid she could have a heart attack. I felt her fear and confusion, but for once I did not interfere, this had to be her decision.

"I know that you are new at this but I am going to teach you and help you through every single moment. When I am not the right person to teach you, because there are things that only other women can teach you, I will have some people with me of my entire confidence that will take over those teachings. I want you for eternity as my love, my mate and my wife. But you have to learn to please me and to take care of my needs." I scanned her to see if she was still paying attention. She was, and the excitement, fear, lust, desire, longing, doubt, uncertainty and confusion that rolled of her, made a wonderful cocktail that I had to block or it would give me a headache.

"You will be trained to be my mate in every way possible. To please me sexually in bed without any boundaries, because I have none and you will not have either. And you will be trained to take care of my house and my civil affairs. You will learn to submit to me when my animal comes out, which I must say happens often, and will claim you no matter where or in front of whom. I am sorry about that in advance but it's our nature as male vampires, and it happens to everyone. I believe that you, like all the other females will adapt and adjust to that, because it can also be a very pleasurable experience for the female. Do you understand me? I know this is a lot to take in right now but I need to know, do you accept it, do you accept me as I am?"

I needed to know. I have never felt as vulnerable as I did right now in my entire existence. I knew that I needed to go slow with her, to take my time, the effect of the mating made difficult to think rationally, but I needed her to understand what she was getting herself in to. I needed her to accept me of her own free will like I need blood to survive. Not that it would change anything if she wouldn't accepted me, I think that in that case she would learn the hard way, there was no way she would escape me or her destiny now. I could never live without her. But that was something I wasn't about to tell her.

She looked at me intensely and just for this once, I didn't have the guts to scan her feelings. _Pussy_, my beast scorned. I wanted to hear it, and I wanted her to say it.

A small, nervous smile spread on her face and a wonderful shade of red lit up her face as she nodded slightly. _Was that a yes?_

"Say it, Isabella; say what you want to say. Give yourself to me, surrender to me, and be mine for eternity, say it now." I growled at her, feeling the intensifying heat of her lust and arousal.

"Y…Yes…Jasper…I am yours, I have always been yours…take me…mark me…all I am, and all I have is yours, my body, my mind and my soul." She whispered to me, and suddenly I was the closest to heaven that a killer like me could ever be.

"Ah, my mate…"it was all I could say before the mating pull from both of us went out of control at her words. The haze that she felt passed on to me and my animal instincts took control. Her lust, longing and desire, meeting mine with almost equal intensity.

In the far away horizon of my sanity I knew my beast and my bloodlust were in control, and I knew that I had to control myself. I could not make love to Isabella now, I could not penetrate her and release inside of her making the marking permanent. But I could mark her skin, it would be temporary, but my mating glands would keep producing the _aqua di amore_, until my body recognized my scent on her as permanent.

I pulled her body to me and wrapped myself tightly around her, lifting her head and crashing my lips to her. I took her mouth like she was a fortress to conquest, I knew she would be bruised in the morning, but now, I didn't care and all I wanted was to feel her, and from her feelings she felt the same. I explored her mouth, coaxing her tongue to dance with mine, her taste exploding in my mouth like the beast candy in the world. I laid us down on her tiny bed, me on top of her and my aching cock aligned with the apex between her tights, and I let myself be engulfed by the mating.

She was inexperienced in all things sexual, but I had experience enough for the both of us. My hands danced all over her almost naked body, letting me feel what would be mine for eternity. My fingers memorized every curve, lump, and scar. I delighted myself in her warmth, in her scent, in the way she rubbed against me trying to be as close to me as she could, I relished in the way her body reacted to my touch, to my kisses, to my body.

My mating glands had changed the venom in my mouth into the _aqua di amori_, and they were producing so much of it that it was pooling in my mouth. I knew its purpose; she needed to swallow it, so that it could make its way inside her body. I broke the kiss and swallowed the liquid, it tasted like cotton candy, it was the first time in more than 100 years that I tasted other than blood or venom, and it was delicious. I waited for her to regain her breath and to stop shivering. Looking down on her I gently ran my hand through her thick, luscious hair.

"Sugar, I cannot, unfortunately for us, no matter how much I want it, make love to you yet. It will be soon, but now my body is marking you with my scent. It is our way of marking our mates as ours only; the scent of a male vampire in a woman is very bad to another male vampire. The substance that I am producing is for you only, as you are my mate, it is instinctual, no other female can make me produce this but you, and it only happens when we find our true mate. Now, I know you have noticed that I am sort of sweating?" she nodded, confusion, understanding, love and excitement rolling from her.

"This is not sweat, it is called the _aqua di amori_, the water of love, and it is the vehicle my body uses to mark you. While we are kissing, you will feel that my mouth is wetter than usual. What I want you to do is to swallow it baby, as much as you can, swallow all that my body is giving you. Will you do that for me?" I smiled at her apprehension, but I knew that as soon as she had a taste of it she would want more.

"Don't worry, it's quite delicious. And in a few days you will love to swallow all my body gives you, and it will give you a lot, believe me". I winked at her, while again I took her lips by assault.

My mouth was already pooling, and at first she choked with the volume of liquid, but then she got used and just let it just slide down her throat as she moaned at the taste and at the feeling. This had to be the most erotic thing I had ever done in my life, and I was a bastard that had already done everything. My tongue swirled in her mouth teasing hers, tasting her, while continuous growls and purrs left my chest.

The warmth of her body engulfed my own, almost burning me. The idea of claiming her completely was becoming more appealing by the second. I couldn't wait to be buried inside of her. My hands roamed all over her body taking what was mine to be conquered, and making her writhe under my body and almost scream in pleasure. If I had not taken care of her father earlier, I would now have a shot gun pointed at my head, because of the noises in this room.

"Yes, Jasper, my love, yes…"she moaned lost in the pleasure. She was so warm, and hot and so tight, so unexplored, so ready for me to take her.

_Virgin_, the thought exploded in my head. I was one lucky bastard. I couldn't do this now, it was too soon and I was not ready for her openly bleeding. _Fuck, Fuck, Fuck_, I had never felt anything like this before, the worry that was stopping my sex frenzy was new to me, never, ever in my life had I cared for someone's well being as I was now, and never had I stopped from taking someone. But, yet, now, I just couldn't do this with her.

It took all that I had but somehow I stopped our frenzied movements to gain some control, which gained me a groan of protest from my mate and anger to slip in her emotions. The risk was too much; I would not allow her to die by my hands. I was covered everywhere by the _aqua di amore_ and my scent was stronger than ever.

My mate was covered with the same substance from head to toe, her smell mixing with mine deliciously, as the _aqua di amori_ slowly impregnated the layers of her skin and made its was inside her body. Our bodies were so wet that they shinned in the weak light of her bed side lamp, and the wetness made us slid against one another easily. One more push and I would be sheathed inside of her and I could release making my marking definitive. _Oh, fuck_.

**A/N** Sorry, this is so short, and for the cliff hanger, but I have been really busy lately.


	15. Chapter 15

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and **reviews **my story; you give me the incentive to continue. I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan** , without her, this story would not be the same, because I would not have the patience to correct my many mistakes.

Chapter 15

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

_Oh, damn…we have to stop_; the thought was popped into my mind like the most annoying water leaking the world.

My problem, and I believe that of most men in my situation, was that knowing that you had to do something, or having the strength to make the right choice may seem like a clear and easy decision to an outsider, but it's completely different when you are immersed deep in the so called situation. I mean I knew that I had to stop but I really, really, really didn't want to.

And to make things worse, if I took her now as mine I would incur in the wrath of the First Mother of my coven and I would be breaking the rules that I had sworn to uphold. My hands were tied by too many obstacles.

I knew I couldn't go on; I could not make her bleed, not with me in this state of arousal, in full mating, with all my instincts as a vampire and as a man screaming at me to take what was mine, to claim my mate completely. The pleasure of being one with her was so much that it was bordering painful, I felt like my soul was singing. Never in my life I had been this complete, this whole, never in my life had I been this happy.

The war raging inside me was driving me insane. Nothing, in my long life was ever so difficult; my own black soul was fighting against me. But I knew I had to do the right thing by her. I knew my limits, as a vampire. I wasn't who I was, and I would not have achieve what I had achieved in my life if I didn't know my limits and I didn't follow the rules. I was a master in controlling the urges of my body. All my urges, except my blood lust for my mate.

And deep in my conscience I knew that if I went on this would not end well. As a man, my whole body was raging in pleasure and ecstasy, but I could not ignore deep in my throat the burning for her blood. The image of her drained body kept flashing in the front of my mind, as well as my eternity alone. I had faced many fears in my years, but this one was one I could not confront.

I took my strength from my legendary discipline, from my training as a warrior, from my feelings for her. I took it from everywhere it was available. My body was powerful in his desires but my mind was stronger.

With the strength that existed in me, I pulled myself from the warm body of my mate, leaving her virginity intact and almost lost it again when she whimpered at the loss of me. I took a few moments to control my raging instincts and to discipline my body. I shushed her while I stilled myself, glad that my inner beast was for once quiet, he too knew what was at stake. Slowly I calmed the tremors of my body while I caressed the velvet skin of her breasts.

When my shivering calmed enough I put a little distance between our bodies. Confusion and rejection swirled around us coming from my beautiful woman.

"Shhh, sugar, I know how you feel, and I feel it too, but I can't claim your body now, it is dangerous and there are rules that even I have to follow." My senses felt the rejection and worthlessness that ran through her, and it made me growl menacingly at her, forcing her head to turn towards me and her eyes to lock with mine. It almost broke my dead heart when I saw the tears that swam in her eyes and the utter despair that she was feeling. I had to be firm with her in order to stop the ridiculous feelings that she was having.

"My mate, stop that right now. Just because I can't penetrate your body and bury myself inside you now, doesn't mean I can't enjoy you in other ways and give you the pleasure you deserve. I won't allow you to feel that way. If you ever, ever again feel that way in my presence you will face my anger, and believe me, that is something you never want to be on the receiving end of" I smirked smugly at her. Her breathing was calming down now, and her heartbeat, which had been out of control a few minutes ago, was now slower. The feelings of rejection and sadness were still there, but now there was also hope and need.

"I want you so much my mate, but we have to wait for a little while, but when we can finally be together I will take you like I have dreamt ever since we met. You will be incapable of even thinking about other man, because I will mark you so deep that your soul will only remember my name."

A new wave of her arousal touched my nostrils and wetted my hand, and I growled in triumph_, IT WAS THERE_, faint yet but already detectable, my scent mixed with hers. _Oh, I have to make sure to arouse her as soon as we are near Edward and the Cullen's. _I thought with perverse satisfaction. I wanted to see Edward's perfect face, has they called it, twist in pain as this scent flooded his nostrils.

"I am going to love you one day, my Isabella, and I am going to make acquaintance with your body. You will feel great pleasure with my explorations. Tell me, have you ever had an orgasm?" I really hoped not, I wanted to be all her FIRSTS.

Shame crossed through her as she shook her head, unable to speak, and my mouth watered at the admission, but I was getting tired of her shame.

"Say it Isabella, you were given the ability to speak when you were born, I want to hear you." I punctuated my words by trusting my finger hard inside of her, before moving it back.

"No" she squealed, startled by my actions.

"Was it with Edward?" I already knew the answer, but I wanted her to say it, to see that he was nothing compared to me.

"No, never, he has never touched me like you do, he never even laid on top of me, we never kissed with tongue, he never felt me up or seen me naked." She spoke softly, shame ragging inside of her mixing with worthlessness. I let it pass for now.

"Good, I am glad you are still untouched. That means he has not taken anything that is mine, I would not have liked that, my mate. No other man will be allowed to even hold your hand without my permission, do you understand? Your body belongs to me now Isabella, as does your mind, your soul, your spirit, and everything else that you have. Your pleasure is mine to give. Only my hands will touch your skin, and I will be very upset with you if you let yourself be touched by another man, excepting for your father, without my permission." I locked eyes with her transmitting how serious I was with this. Not even Peter would touch her without my permission, and he was my brother.

"Yes Jasper, I understand." She said breathless looking at me with utter embarrassment.

"It's good you do my beloved. I know you to be a little expansive in your true affections, but that will cause some problems between us if you don't control those emotions, because I am really possessive of you my mate. And I really don't want there to be problems between us. I only want your happiness Isabella."I was happy to feel that there was no outrage or rebellion against this in her heart. Most of modern girls would be screaming at me right now.

"Now, I have already marked your skin with my scent. It is a not as permanent as it will be after we make love and I release inside of you, marking you as mine for eternity, after our bonding ceremony on the 1st of September, but it is effective in staking my claim on you for all the other males that cross your path." I smiled proudly knowing that she would smell of me and of our intimacy for about a week, and that was only if I wasn't spending anytime with her, which was unthinkable_, tomorrow night she will be in for more Whitlock love,_ the beast purred. I could feel her curiosity at my words.

"Yes? You can ask me anything my beloved."

"Wha…what is the b...bonding cer…ceremony? My love managed to utter, while shivering in pleasure at my touch, arching her body against my hand to get more feeling.

"The bonding ceremony will be when we will be joined for eternity my sweet. It's a wonderful ceremony that has some analogies with the human marriage, but whose symbolism goes deeper than that. It unites true mates under the vampire law for eternity in the presence of our rulers and our pairs." I sensed skepticism and defiance in her mixed with fear, and I lifted an eyebrow for her to explain, stilling my movements.

"Is it like a weeding? I am too young to get married and I don't want to get married after the example I had in my own life. I really don't need to marry anyone. And you didn't ask me, and the first of September, why so soon? What about Charlie and Renée, I can't do this to them?" if I didn't stop her she would go on ranting forever. She was so young at the times. I guess we better deal with this now.

"Well wild cat. I would like to see you stopping acting like a spoiled child that only does what she wants, and throws a tantrum when she doesn't get her way." I told her sternly feeling her shock at my rash words.

"I thought you wanted to grow up. That's too bad you think you are too young to marry and to make a commitment, because you don't seem to think that you are too young to fuck. Well that just gives me and other's a very good impression of your behavior and personality." I kept my tone cold as ice as to have more impact, and at the same time I flooded the room with my disappointment at her words.

"You are too young to make a commitment to your soul mate, but you are not too young to fuck whoever you are with, namely Edward or me, and inexperienced as you are without even think about consequences, without realizing that giving your body to another is a much bigger deal than marriage. It is sharing you with another in the most sacred of the actions." I may be a heartless vampire but I have my morals for my mate, and in my time women viewed sex with more respect. I knew my words were cruel and harsh, but she needed to grow up and get rid of the fears that were not her own to begin with.

"Has it crossed your mind, that even if I was a human and with the way that you lose yourself in the pleasure of sex, you could bring a life into this world by your actions tonight? Just a few moments ago you were willing to give yourself to me in the most intimate of ways, but you are afraid of bonding with me, of trusting me with your life. I really would like to see you gain some sense, Isabella, and for you to stop acting so immature." Shame flooded her at my words. She tried to apologize like I knew she would, but I just continued.

"The bonding has some analogies with marriage but it is much more. It is only performed when in presence of true soul mates, linking them together for all time. There is no divorce or unhappiness for vampires that are bound to each other, never could exist such a thing, because only soul mates bond, I believe that that is what we are, or are you denying it? Just because your parents screwed it up doesn't mean that we will, that could never happen with us. Stop using excuses for your own weaknesses, Isabella" I told her seriously, and I took great satisfaction in seeing the shame and regret she felt as my words as my manipulation hit the target.

"No, please, Jasper, I am sorry, I know that we are something big, I have never felt nothing like this before in my life. I love you so much. There is nothing more I want that to be with you, and to be yours. Please forgive me, I did not know." She said crying and hugging me tight.

"It is alright, little one. I forgive you for this. But you must know that I would like you to think of things before the words come from your mouth. You are way too impulsive for your own good. There is nothing to be afraid of with the bonding. All mated vampires do it and you are acquainted with some of them Carlisle and Esme, Rosalie and Emmet. It is just the way things are done in our world. It will make you my mate for everyone else to see, as we will be exchanging blood and venom." Understanding and acceptance rolled off of her.

"As for your parents, well, you will have to say goodbye in the next few days my love. You and I will be leaving Forks together to our new house by the end of this week. I won't be living with the Cullen's anymore, and I have taken a position of power in our world, of which we will discuss later. In September you will already be a vampire, and we will have to fake your death." I waited for the news to sink in. I knew this wasn't easy for her, it was all too much for her human mind, but I owed her the truth.

She couldn't settle herself on one single emotion, her emotional center was a tornado of feelings that even me, with my enhanced senses couldn't single out. I gave her the time she needed, gently caressing her soft skin, not in a sexual way, but in a comforting one.

Finally acceptance flooded through her, mixed with sorrow, and I gently kissed the tip of her nose and looked at her, conveying my love and sympathy for her and her choice.

"I love you, Jasper, and I want to be with you for eternity, but at the same time it's very hard to say goodbye to them, and I am afraid." She said softly, tears raining down her cheeks.

"Isabella, I will be on your side every second to help you, I will never let you alone, I will always be with you. You must take your time to say your goodbyes and make the best of it with your father, before we leave. After that you may say that you are going on vacation for the month with the Cullen's to their Island in the Caribbean and that you will keep in contact with him, that way you may keep calling him for a while longer, until it's time to fake your death."

She nodded, and a wave of gratitude and love coming from her hit me, making me groan in pleasure.

"Now, my beloved, I think we can move to more pleasurable subjects, I am thinking something on the line of making you scream my name. Is that okay with you?" I smirked at her as I heard her heart pick up speed and the blush spread all over her body. _Just fucking delicious_, I thought Just before claiming her lips with my own, my hands softly caressing her body and feeding the fire that burned between us.

In minutes she was on the brink of releasing, and I focused my advanced senses completely on her, I wanted to feel, to see, to smell her first orgasm by my hand. I stilled myself for the avalanche of pleasure that she would send my way, and I took her over the edge. Her scream was primal, almost animalistic; it echoed through the room and went through the open window into the quiet night. It took her a while to settle down, but when she did instead of the sated feeling that I thought she would feel I only felt shame and embarrassment rolling from her in waves.

I was tired of this shame that she felt all the time, really I was, remembering something that Marcus had told me a long time ago," that the best way to conquer the shyness of a woman, was to make her do all that ashamed her, especially in the bed", a somewhat twisted way to face your fears. I decided that Isabella needed a punishment.

I released her, and stood, looking at her sternly. Confusion and fear rolled of her at my expression and I knew she was well aware that she had crossed a line with me, and that again I was not happy with her.

"Jasper…I…"I cut her off, apologizing all the time because we can't control our tongue really isn't a way to live, and she already apologized too much. Like so many other things it was time to cut this in the bud.

"I will not hurt you Isabella, I will never abuse you, but I am going to punish you for your insecurities. I am tired of feeling your shame for your body, and of your insecurities concerning your body."

"Get up from the bed Isabella, now, and don't you dare to move. If you do move and try to touch me I will leave you alone." I was aware that my voice was cold and I was full in my military mode and her fear now was only fueling a very sad situation. I smirked at the panic that she felt at my threat. My Isabella was going to get an idea of exactly what kind of man and mate I was.

Slowly, as if suddenly her instincts were screaming danger, and she understood how dangerous a creature I was, she got up, and in a corner of my mind I realized that all her shame had been replaced by apprehension.


	16. Chapter 16

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that reads and **reviews **my story; you give me the incentive to continue. I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan** , a wonderful girl and writer.

Chapter 16

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

She stood up from the bed, awkwardly looking at a very interesting spot on the floor, biting that goddamn sexy lip of her, her arms hanging on her sides. _How can this beautiful woman be so insecure?_ I thought to myself.

I lay down on the bed with my legs slightly apart. I put my hands behind my head, my erection now somewhat mollified by my mate's actions and feelings. I looked at her up and down and sent her a heavy dose of lust, desire and need. At this point I didn't care if I was manipulating and somewhat forcing her to do something that she wasn't prepared to do. No, this was about showing her who was in charge in this relationship of ours, and her learning to behave and to act as my mate, leaving her insecurities and fears behind. I wanted her total and undivided faith and trust. After all we had to start somewhere.

It was enough for her to start to squirm and to raise her eyes to mine. I let her stand there for a while, working her desire and feelings in a pent up intensity, that made her sweat and whimper at the lack of attention to her needs. Every time she moved her legs to get some friction, or tried to touch herself I would stop feeding her lust and I would send her way a dose of disappointment, leaving her in a state of frustration that was increasing to alarming levels.

I thought she had enough when she started to beg me to take her in a shaking voice. I stopped my manipulation and immediately was rewarded with a stab of frustration.

"Very well Isabella, did you enjoy this little exercise that we just did? Do you feel frustrated?" I asked, knowing perfectly well that she did. She just nodded, still fighting to control herself.

"I know you feel frustrated because as you have just witnessed I can not only really mess with your emotions, but I can also really feel them, even if you try to block them." Comprehension dawned on her of the real extension of my power.

"I am not sorry for that manipulation, because you deserved this punishment. All night I have been trying to make you fight your inhibitions and fears, and I must say that you really are a stubborn little lady, all night you have made me feel frustrated because you refuse to see what you are to me, what I see when I look at you, what you make me feel as a man, how much I want your trust and faith that I only want what is best for you. I had hoped that you had understood by now that you have to get rid of some of your habits if you want for us to be together. I want nothing more than to give you pleasure and love you and your body in the way you deserve, but I want you to accept it without all of your insecurities. Now tell me that you are sorry and that you will make an effort to obey and trust me, and afterwards tell me what you want." I waited for her to speak.

"Y…yes, my love, I am sorry…I am so sorry…I never meant for you to be angry...I just never have been with someone like this and…I want you to please me and to please you…I just don't know what to do and I freaked…I will do anything you want, I trust you with my life, with my soul…just…please don't be mad at me, I can't bear that, because thinking that you are displeased with me is painful. And I don't know why I am feeling like this. This relation between us is happening so fast, I feel like I am losing myself in all of this. I have loved you and dreamt of you for so long and now I know that I have you but it still feels like a dream." she whispered in a teary voice. She really was sorry and I was glad she was opening up to me and trusting me with her thoughts. It was enough for me for now, but later I would now see if she would obey my commands.

"I know you are innocent, and that you are inexperienced, and I can feel that you are overwhelmed with all of this. I know all about you and your feelings now that you opened them to me, my mate. It is okay to feel like that, I will be here for you; you just have to have faith in me as your mate. Trust in me as your man, as your mate. I promise you never to betray that faith and trust, and I promise you that I will help you through this."

"But you, my woman, you need to realize that to me, you are the most beautiful, exciting thing that I have ever laid my eyes on, because you were designed for me and I was designed for you. You excite me only by breathing, only by being alive and with me, by being in my arms and by loving a monster like me that has never loved before. No, not even Alice, if you are wondering about that, but that is discussion for tomorrow, but you must know that she was not my mate, she never was. To me your body is perfect and it annoys me that your insecurity and fears stop you from appreciating the perfection that nature gave you. You put out all of the time feelings of worthlessness, of inferiority, of shame. I want you to start and to look at yourself as I do, Isabella. I know that you are innocent but you have to grow up and become the woman you are intended to be, you must get rid of all the negativity you have inside, you must build your trust in yourself. You must learn to love yourself and to love your body, my little one."

She was looking at me in awe, wonder and love swirling around her, as my words sunk in, tears swam in her eyes, but I could feel that they were tears of joy. I could feel her confidence building. I basked in those feelings. It would be a while before she would be at the level that I wanted but she was taking her steps there.

"You are my mate; you will be with me for eternity, helping me to fulfill my destiny. As my mate you will be a powerful vampire and you will be under the scrutiny of both friends and enemies, and you will be an easy target for those you which to hurt me. Even though I am most attracted to your innocence and I find your shyness is endearing, I really hate how inferior to me, to us you feel. I need my mate to be strong and confident. I know you are just human now, but we must start your transformation into what you are meant to be as my mate. It is time for you to show me how much you love me and how much you want to be with me by lifting yourself above all those fears, and above the insecurity that plagues you. We can start there, by your relation with your body and with sex."I said to her, keeping my voice low and my eyes locked on hers, watching her dilated pupils and her deep breath.

"Do you trust me Isabella? Do you trust that I have only your well being in mind? I want you to have faith that I can bring you to places of pleasure that you have never dreamed. Let me show you, what your body is capable. Let me take you like I know your body wants to be taken. Let me show you how a little pain can turn into mind-blowing pleasure. It will be your first step to be the woman you can be and be rid of the shame. Do you want me to do it, to show you how pleasure and pains sometimes walk hand in hand?"It would be her choice, but I knew my tone of voice was turning her on immensely.

"Yes" she was panting with desire. I could also feel determination. _That's our girl, _my beast growled.

She was mine now.

Now she was what she was intended to be as my mate, she was pure desire and emotion, she was wild and savage, and she was on fire, a fire that she would have to quench, with my help. I could feel our bond strengthening itself in synchrony with her want, growing along as she got rid of many years of childish fears, anguishes and insecurities.

She was a sight to behold, a thin layer of sweat covering her, flushed. She was giving all of herself to me now, as she should as my mate, as my woman, as my love. After this I knew she would never again be the same, and a small part of me mourned the loss of some of her innocence, but this was the way, this was my way of life and her fate would be to follow my road wherever it took me, shame and insecurity could not be a part of her life. Her destiny was me, and this was what I wanted from her, total and complete surrender to me. I knew we had a long journey ahead of us, but we had already taken the first steps.

I unleashed my gift on her, feeding that fire that I had started. I could feel her coming close to climax, close to that storm of pleasure that I have known for so many years and that she knew only for a few hours past. All that bliss she was feeling right now had been provided by _me_, her pleasure flooding my senses. I increased the pace of my tongue and with a small burst of ecstasy directed her way, she came undone.

She came, shaking as the waves of unbidden pleasure rocked through her, my name rolling from her mouth in a breathless scream, her whole body trembling with the force of her orgasm.

"You did very well my mate; it was glorious to see you came undone under my touch and seeing your efforts to pursue your pleasure. Your trust was amazing to feel. As you see there is nothing to be ashamed off, it is quite exciting for me to see you releasing and giving yourself to me and to the pleasure that I can bring you."I kissed her sweetly; letting her know that for me only she mattered, feeling her shaking from the powerful emotions that she felt for the same time. It was painful for her to have felt so much, so quick, so soon.

I diverted my mouth from her just a little.

"Shhh, my dove, feel the pleasure that lies beneath it, if you do, the pain will only last a moment, and when you surrender to the pleasure that I give you, you will be amazed of how good it can be."Just to be sure I send her another dose of lust, and took a little of her discomfort away. Surely enough, her desire spiked, her mouth seeking mine again.

I obliged her, with gentle licks and soft suckling until she was once again loosing herself in her pleasure.

A satisfied smile played on my lips as I rearranged her on the bed, spooning her, not bothering in cleaning her up. The longer she took to wash, the longer my _aqua di amori_ had to permeate her skin in and out. I took special care in closing her legs though, I had inserted enormous amounts of it inside her and I wanted to keep it inside her for as long as I could. I let her rest, feeling her exhaustion; her eyes were shut and she was mumbling something that I fought to understand.

"I love you…Jasper…my love" The sweet expression of endearment surprised me. I had just forced her in ways that were rather cruel and harsh on her innocence, and yet she loved me. I could feel it, they were not mere words. Her feelings had not waned from being confronted with my true nature. I was puzzled, awed and proud of her. She really was my mate, capable of enduring my beast even in her human form.

I looked at the alarm clock on her night stand; it was 3 in the morning. After such an eventful day I could relax and try to will away my painful erection.

I wanted her to return the favor but she was already dosing off into a deep sleep.

I could wait until tomorrow, today she had learned a lot. I willed my erection to go away, as she snuggled closer to my side. Subtly I released the hold I had on her father and covered her body with her sheet.

Her warmth seeped through me as I pulled her closer to me and I let myself get some rest too, as much as my vampire nature allowed me. This had been a memorable day and night, and I could barely contain a grin while looking at the beautiful thing that was now sleeping exhausted by my side.

With my mate securely and contently sleeping in my arms and the Whitlock House, _My house_, a few weeks away of being the center of power in the American continent I had all that I wanted.

A strange feeling of contentment washed through me at the realization, that maybe now, I was feeling what people called happiness.


	17. Chapter 17

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story; it's difficult to answer each of you personally, but I want all of you to know that you give me the incentive to continue. I try to write as fast as I can, but I too have a demanding life outside fan fiction. I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan for being the best**.

Chapter 17

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

Around 5.30 dawn was about to break, and I knew that I had to go home; I had lots to do before I could come back and take my woman to deal with Edward. I would allow my Isabella to spend the morning with her father, to enjoy his company while she could. I wanted to take her out this afternoon, just me and her, to talk, to get to know each other, to tell her of my story, and talk about our future. After all, we were going to spend eternity together.

Tomorrow Peter, Charlotte, Alexis and Bastien would be here, the Cullen's would have to swear their allegiance to me and my future would begin.

Lately, as the dead line for my nomination as the Warlord of the American continent approached, it seemed that each of my days had 48 hours. Granted I don't get tired, never, but I would like to have some time to pursue my own interests, in this case _our Isabella_, my beast purred, making me smile_. Well, it's no use trying to delay things_, I said to myself, while taking in the beauty that lay soundly asleep in her bed.

With a last peck on her lips and a deep whiff of her scent, I tucked her sheets around her, closed her window and picked up my tattered clothes from the floor, dressing myself. I went to her desk and found a paper and a pen. Rapidly I wrote that I would be back later in the early afternoon to pick her up, and for her to enjoy the morning with her father, whom I knew had the morning off work, I left her my phone number, and told her to call me when she woke up. I placed the note on her night stand and with a last look at my sleeping beauty I went downstairs and opened the door. Once again I would leave their house as I had gotten in, by the front door.

A wondering thought struck me. Her scent was not as intoxicating to me as it had been before. Maybe it was a consequence of the mixing of our scents, or the result of the passion we had shared last night, but the burn in my throat was not as intense. I stored the thought away for later analysis.

Once outside the house, still enveloped by the last shadows of the night, I carefully closed the door putting the lock back onto its original position. I expanded my senses to detect possible threats. It still bugged me what Alice had said about Edward, and I knew that I had to find the little fucker and discover what he was doing.

I was surprised that he didn't show up last night, like the little stalker that he is; I had had my senses wide open then, even if my main focus was pleasuring my woman, and I didn't sense him.

I knew that had he known what I was doing with my mate, he would have gone ballistics. With his obsessive character and his fascination with Isabella, his personality just wouldn't let him stay away from her; Something was bothering me, my instincts were screaming at me that maybe it was not wise or safe to leave my mate alone today. If he decided to drop by, I knew he was resourceful enough to find a way to enter her room, and it worried me that he would smell our pleasure, and I would not be there to protect her. When nervous or enraged, the little rat was not known for being able to think properly and control himself, and he could become a danger to her.

I decided to take advantage of the recent use of my mating glands. Even though I was no longer producing _aqua di amori_ by the buckets, because I was not physically near my mate, I was still soaking wet from mine and my mate's earlier activities, which made my own scent more aggressive. It was time to mark my territory.

I stretched my back and arms, flexing them like a cat. Once again I widened my senses, but I didn't sense anyone alert. I took my t shirt and, making sure to place as much skin as possible in contact with the walls, I rubbed myself on all the vertical surfaces of the house that I could, spreading my scent everywhere. _Fuck the wolves_...they wouldn't dare to complain, soon they will be under my authority too. If they wanted to keep their little enclave of shape shifter's safe from my kind they would have to make concessions, or face destruction.

This was my mate's house, and therefore my territory. I knew that any supernatural creature that passed through this street would sense my strong male odor in and around the house, especially if they were vampires. No vampire in their right senses would dare to do something to my woman or her father. One had to be a fool to defy a vampire in mating, we all become more powerful and vicious because it only happens once in our lives.

I included my mate's father in the deal. She loved him deeply and had been raised with little contact with him but, even though they both were reserved in their public affection for each other, I could feel the love, the care and the affection between them. By protecting him I was protecting her. And I kind of liked him, from the little contact that I had had with him, I had the idea that he was an honest, simple, hard working man, with a love for the outdoors that reminded me of my own father.

I finished the marking of my mate's house and once I got to the backyard that boarded the forest I took off to the Cullen's. A cloudy morning was rising and the scent in the air told me that would be a rainy day, usual Forks weather.

I couldn't sense anyone close by while I ran and no fresh vampire sent crossed my path. As I approached the house I couldn't feel anyone inside. This was a good thing, it was too soon and I had a shit load of things to do before confronting anyone.

I really needed to shower and perhaps do something to ease the painful erection that was threatening to break the seams of my pants; painfully aroused had been my constant state since I started the claim of my woman.

The few hours rest that I had with my naked and very well sated mate in my arms had done little to help my problem. Too often my beast snuck upon me to go and wake our mate, so that she could put her soon to be talented mouth to use and alleviate my problem, but I managed to control the urge.

Rose and Emmett obviously hadn't yet returned, and Carlisle and Esme would be back only by nightfall. I was alone, and it was a good thing. Eddie boy wasn't anywhere within my senses and that worried me, the little virgin boy could be up to something against me and I would have to be more alert than usual.

Not that he could scare me or even fight me, but my fear was for my still human and therefore fragile, mate. It was an alien feeling for me, caring for someone other than my brother's in arms and comrades. I walked at a human pace to the house and I found that my thoughts drifted quite frequently to the idea that his immediate death would be a good thing. He would always be a shadow in my life, no matter how far away he was kept. His obsession with my mate, and his volatile temper, allied with the natural 17 years old stubborn personality, would make him an unstable person. He was bound to make messy mistakes that would inevitably cause problems.

I opened the door to the room I shared with Alice, and a growl slipped my chest at the scene of destruction, _stupid jealous bitch_, the beast growled. Although she had been punished for it, I was still furious about her treason. _Remember, she will pay for the rest of eternity, as Marcus plaything,_ my beast snarled in his hate for her. I took my time to evaluate the degree of destruction.

My original paintings, the little items that I had in this house, part of the art collection that I had been gathering for the last 100 years, were in very bad shape, the same as some exemplars of my rare books, first and second original editions, some of them from medieval age, were thorn and ripped in half. I would have to pay millions of dollars to get these priceless objects restored by the best specialists money could buy.

Money wasn't a problem for me personally, for the Whitlock House or for the Volturi, but it still pissed me off that the jealousy of an ignorant, stupid creature could hinder such beauty and priceless objects. Alice deserved all that she got for eternity. But some of my most beloved possessions, namely some of my renaissance drawings and a book about military warfare dated from the 13th century, which were acquired by not so legal means, would be more difficult to repair. I probably would have to investigate who were the best specialists in each field and kidnap them, bring them to the Montana Complex to do their work, and then dispose of them once they finished. _Fuck, only problems with this fucking Cullen's, _I thought to myself.

With a sigh I tore myself from my helpless observation and I went to my closet. I opened it to try to find something to wear after my shower. The bitch really had done a number on my clothes and shoes, fortunately I had a whole wardrobe in the house of the Montana complex, chosen and bought for me by Alexis according to my instructions, and I had some spare clothes also in the cottage where Alice was being held prisoner, they would last me until I got the hell out of this forsaken town with my mate.

I found a black t-shirt inside a plastic shopping bag, complete with a pair of dark blue wash jeans, and my old cowboy boots in the back of the closet. This was fuckingtastic, _how could this have gotten here? And how did this escape the loony bitch?_ I thought to myself. As with almost everything in this fake life of mine, I had had to abandon my usual way of dressing to better fit in the family. Shit, I am a man of simple, comfortable manly clothes that I only change to get in my military uniform and I really missed my jeans.

I picked up the clothes and went to the bathroom. I stripped and went inside the shower, turning on the hot water on its full power, hearing the exhausters that sucked the warm fog from the air working. The walls of my shower were mirrored, an extravagance from Alice that I had indulged, sometimes it was good to see her sucking me off on her knees through the mirrors.

I liked to feel the burning water running through my skin, soothing my body and my mind. After sex this was my favorite method of relaxation.

I am not a vain man, but I was proud of myself. My genetic constitution had been very favorable to me. Both of my parents had been tall and healthy, my father was a big strong yet lean man, with a strong character, and my mother had been a beautiful blond southern belle. My work on my family's plantation only helped to make me more muscular and strong, developing what was already there.

Afterwards, when I enlisted the army, the military life enhanced those muscles, giving me a grace in movements that my previous life hadn't been able to give me. When I was turned, I became more attractive. Even with the hundreds of scars that littered my skin from my neck to my waist, I had a very nice set of toned muscles, in a lean, stone strong body. My legs were long, strong and well defined. I had a very well shaped and nice ass, highly praised by all that got to see it. My feet were proportional to my legs and to most of my lover's exceptionally beautiful, though I never saw the appeal of them. My arms were strong and long, and my hands had fine, long fingers, that could have the strength to crush a throat or to make a lover orgasm. A smirk crossed my face as I remembered with picture clarity what my finger's had done to mymate not long ago. Just the thought of that made my cock start to twitch and swell.

I was never a hairy man but I had a few well distributed dirty blond chest hairs. I followed the path that the water made to my lower abdomen to the dark blond curls that engulfed my sex. I was already at attention, tall and proud. My hand moved on its own accord and tugged the head of my cock. A growl left my throat at how good it felt to have some friction. _Fuck, were do you find a woman or a willing guy when you need one_? My beast whimpered, making me roll my eyes.

I kept my eyes on the mirror, watching my hand move up and down, squeezing me, and imagining that it was Isabella that was caressing me, stroking me, as she knelt in front of me. My need for more was growing, I needed release, I could feel the almost painful flux of venom as it made its way inside me tensing my loins, I could feel the tightening of my sack, my need growing as my hips bucked against my hand. No matter how unsatisfactory it would be doing the work by myself I needed to alleviate the tension. Later in the afternoon my mate would learn to suck me and it would be more satisfying. A few more strokes and the wave of pleasure submerged me, making me roar.

_If it is like this just thinking of her_…I stopped the thought right there, no need to get a hard on again, and no one to release it. As the shivering of my body subsided, I finished my bath, cleaned up and got dressed.

I decided to take advantage of the still vacant house to go to the basement and get several boxes and patched envelopes. Then I tried to the best of my ability to put my damaged paintings inside each of the boxes, and I did the same to the damaged books and sculptures.

Those artifacts were going to be kept inside my truck, parked in the garage, until they could be handed to someone of trust. The rest of the room would be for Alice to clean up before leaving with Marcus. After all she would need to learn to take care of everything in her new house as Marcus newest companion. He liked to play house with his pets.

I put the last of my possessions inside the truck, making sure that they were well packed and safe.

I went upstairs and I closed the doors of what had been the bedroom of my old life. I would not be back to live here anymore. I did a quick check of the rest of the house to see if I had forgotten anything of mine. I had all that I needed, and I closed and locked the front door taking my key with me.

As I had foreseen, it was raining steadily and the air had chilled a bit. I was glad I had closed my mate's window; if I had not this weather would be enough to make her sick.

On my way to the cabin where Alice was kept, I found a herd of dear and quickly drained a big male and took my fill of blood; a meal is a meal even if it is disgusting. This would be my last animal sacrifice to a life of lies. From now on I would go back to my natural source of blood, humans.

As I reached the cabin, I let out a roar. I smelled Edward's scent, it was not fresh, it had 4 or 5 hours and made a path circling the house. The little weasel had been there. I broke through the door but the scent wasn't inside, only an unmoving Alice and a very menacing crouching Ivan.

As soon as he realized that it was me, Ivan let go of his crouch, and saluted me, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Greetings sir, Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nella pace."

"Good morning Ivan, has there been any problems tonight?"

"No sir, I have felt a vampire outside, but he only stayed for a few seconds, then he left. I did not think to disturb you, as if he had attempted to enter the house I would take care of him. And I thought it could be a member of your family. Miss Alice has awakened briefly a few hours ago, but I took care of her as you instructed." I nodded, of course, he wasn't aware of the situation with Edward or the rest of the Cullen's; I had nothing to fault him.

"You did well Ivan, as Master Marcus been in contact with you?"

"Yes sir, he called me a little while after you left to tell me that he was on his way, and gave me instructions concerning Miss Alice. I suppose he will be here in 2 or 3 hours, as he has chartered a helicopter to come here from Seattle; he left Italy as soon after he talked to you."

"Indeed, I am here to take over this charge, if you need to go anywhere. Is she awaking up soon?" I wanted to rub her future in her face.

"Thank you sir, I really need to hunt and Master Marcus has told me to get a few things for Miss Alice, I won't be long. She will be awaking up in about 20 minutes. Will you need me to deal with her?" he asked a little sheepishly.

I raised my eyebrow in amusement, seeing as he ducked his head, had he been human, he would be blushing at the absurd he had just said.

"I am sorry sir; I know you can take care of her. I…huh…better go." The situation was hilarious, an embarrassed vampire. I smirked at him, letting him know that it was okay.

" Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nella pace." With the salute he took off, leaving me with my ex wife. Patiently I installed myself on the chair, thinking about all that I had to do, and waited for her to wake up from Ivan's venom.

That would be an interesting talk.


	18. Chapter 18

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story; it's difficult to answer each of you personally, but I want all of you to know that you give me the incentive to continue. I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan for everything, and advise you to check out her stories.**

**This chapter contains violent scenes and almost non consensual sex. If you are a sensible person or under age please do not read.**

Chapter 18

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

Just as Ivan had predicted, Alice started to stir 20 minutes later, gasping in pain as she slowly returned to a conscious state. Mindful of all my precautions when dealing with the treacherous bitch I had to call wife for half a century, and still seething from her betrayal and from the destruction of my things, I moved to stand in front of her.

As soon as she stood, grabbing her thorn clothes in an effort preserve some kind of modesty, she looked wildly around her and gasped once I closed my hand around her neck squeezing it.

"Good morning Alice, did you have a nice sleep?"

"Jasper...? Please, don't hurt me..."I felt her dizziness mixed with a large dose of physical pain and fear as she slowly returned to her usually alert self. I drew back in order to look at her face and I thought about the destiny I was making for all of us and especially what waited her.

Suddenly, as I was expecting, she stiffened and her emotions changed to apprehension and panic when she was swept away into a vision. From the despair that I could feel emitting from her, it should be a good one about her future. I did not hold back the chuckle. Her legs buckled under her at the strength of the vision and only my hold on her neck kept her upright.

"Take a look at what you dug for yourself, Alice." I could not resist taunting her a little. "Take a good look at the rest of your eternity. You were judged by your superiors and found guilty of treason to my House and to me as his Master. Take a look at your sentence."I had to tighten my hold on her as she started to try to escape.

"No. No, please, Jasper, I will do anything, anything you want, but don't do this. I will redraw any pretentions to you, I will step aside to serve only your house and you can be with Bella as a mate. Please, not this, anything but this. I will give you my undivided loyalty. I beg of you, please."

"It's too late, Alice. Even if I wanted to do anything for you, which I don't by the way, I wouldn't. Marcus is on his way and in a couple of hours you will be bound to the Volturi and to him as an obedient companion for as long as he wants you. If we think about it you are very lucky. Your gift is valuable and they are willing to take you in spite of your treason to me. If you were anyone else you would be dead."

"Please don't do this, they will destroy all that I am, I will never be allowed to leave Volterra, I will be almost a slave, imprisoned in his quarter's waiting for him to come to me, I will be a prisoner within the walls of the city until I give in to him. I will be at his mercy. I won't even have the power that the other wives have, because I won't be a wife. I will have no freedom to make any choices. I will be a toy, a pet to him. Please, Jasper."She was sobbing now, her head between her hands, fear, anxiety and despair swirling around her as she let her set in stone future sink into her mind.

"It's over Alice, deal with it. None of them will abuse or mistreat you. If you want you can make a new life for yourself. All you have to do is adapt and behave. Marcus isn't evil. He won't rape or beat you, he may be rough to you sometimes, and I believe that with your temper you will suffer a bit of humiliation, but he won't mistreat you. He will treat you fairly and you can have a good thing with him as long as you accept him and what he is. It is your future, and you are lucky it's only him; he is a pretty decent man. I could have given you as a pet to the entire unmated member's of the guard." Her gasp was delicious and the horror that she was feeling at my words was doing wonders to my inner beast.

"You should have never have betrayed me, Alice. You could have been a guard in my house, serving me and the Volturi if only you had accepted what I have been telling you all of these years. You could have your freedom and maybe one day find your true mate and be with him. You could have your family with you. You are not my mate, you never were my mate. You were a companion to whom I never promised love or devotion. I always knew I had a mate and now I have found her, Isabella is mine, you know it, and I know you can smell it on my body. This isn't something that a vampire can fake. But no, almighty Alice couldn't accept defeat and decided to force fate. You told Edward half lies and showed him half visions in hopes that he could stop my mating. In doing that you tried to harm me. You betrayed me. Now, you will pay the price. Be glad you still have your life and make the best with what you will have in your future. Your alternatives are not as good. This discussion is over." I told her definitely. "Now tell me, where is the sneaky boy you call a brother?"

I let her fall to the ground, defeat radiating from her, before I knelt in front of her to better look at her face. I saw her eyes glaze over as she searched, and I felt her confusion at whatever she was seeing. The emotional climate in here was almost orgasmic; it had been long since I could allow my instincts and my gift to dive deep in so much pain, despair, fear and confusion and my inner beast was reveling in it.

"I can't see him well, it's just like the vision of his future that I had before…" she interrupted with a sob and I growled at her to continue. "It's all blurry and unfocused. I think he is running through a woodland area and carrying something in his arms; it seems that there is something big that is wrapped inside something… I don't recognize the landscape. I can't see where he is going…he makes no decisions." she was shaking with the effort to see, to draw the visions.

Her inability to see the future of the boy was letting me with an uneasy feeling in my gut. She only got these partial visions when important decisions were not yet taken or when my Isabella was present in our future. It was still very early in the morning and I could not give in to my instinct to go and see for myself if she was okay. Calling was also out of the question because it would wake her father. I could not let Alice alone until Ivan or Marcus arrived no matter how much I wanted. Fuck my life!

"Check in on my mate and her house, now."I felt her shock and pain at my words, but she did what she was told without a fight. I saw her sniffling, taking in my strong mating scent. It only increased the despair and the sorrow that she was feeling, but brought with it a little tingle of acceptance. She knew what this scent meant and that there was no turning back for her. Isabella was it for me and she was not and she knew it.

I waited as she strained her gift to search my mate's immediate future, but by the frown in her face, Isabella was as usual black hole in her vision.

"Nothing…I see nothing from her or the house, just the usual static and unfocused blurry glimpses. I got a glimpse of Charlie, maybe sitting on the stairs, but, it wasn't clear."Ah, yes, Charlie, he also had the same fucked up mind as Isabella, it was almost as impossible to see him in Alice's visions as it was to see my Isabella, although Edward could pick up sometimes some random thoughts from him.

"Very well, I will trust what you are saying because I can feel that you are telling the truth. Now shut up and keep watching Eddie boy, if there is anything that indicates he is near my mate, or if your vision clarifies you better tell me."There was nothing else to be said between us.

An hour later Alice still had no news from the sneaky weasel, and I felt a vampire approaching at a high speed. I got up from the chair in which I had been sitting watching Alice, who was still absorbed deep in her visions. Sometimes she would whimper at something she saw, and would hide her head between her hands rocking back and forth, while murmuring softly to herself. The self pity, heart break, fear and pain she radiated had me periodically shutting down my senses to not feel them. I only opened them to watch if something had changed. I had better things to do than to feel all the despair and mortification she was experiencing about her future.

From the emotional climate, I could sense that Ivan was back. Good. I could leave and check on my mate, the damn feeling was still here, it was wearing me out, leading me slowly but steadily to a nervous state.

As he opened the door carefully as to not disturb me, he took in the scene before him and silently entered the cottage and closed the door behind him. He was holding some shopping bags.

"Hello again sir, would you like me to…"she said while gesturing at Alice who was still kneeled on the floor. I smirked at his antics, really this vampire was… strange. At this, Alice's whimpers began to get louder and she crawled to get as far away from him as she could.

"Hello Ivan, no, I believe we have no use for your gift for the moment, she is behaving and I need her to stay conscious for now. Do you have any news of Master Marcus?"

"Yes sir, they are already on the way here. They are just searching for a good landing site."I guess I had to wait a little while longer. I could sense that he needed to say something more.

"Yes Ivan?"But before he could say anything, Alice jumped to grab my legs causing me to snarl at her. She was not allowed to touch me anymore.

"No Jasper, please, it's not too late, please don't let him do this to me, please, I implore you, I beg of you."I shook my leg from her grasp, and told Ivan to continue letting her sobbing on the floor.

"Well sir, Master Marcus instructed me to change to change Miss Alice outfit, so that she is presentable when he arrives."

"If those are your orders please proceed, Ivan, can you handle her?"I smirked as he looked shyly to the floor, remembering his earlier gaffe.

"Yes, sir, I believe I can."I nodded to him as I took my seat on the chair.

In an instant he was on her side, even with her gift allowing her to predict his moves, she was no match for a highly skilled and trained warrior. His hand was around her neck pulling her up; while his other hand pulled the rest of her clothes, effectively ripping them out of her body, while Alice screamed and grabbed his hands, futilely tying to break his hold on her.

He looked at me as if asking for permission to get harsher, and I nodded, she was no longer my concern or under my protection, and even if I don't condone violence against women who can't defend themselves, Alice was not in that category. I mean she could be a house full of trouble. My duty now, as was Ivan's was to obey the orders of our Master and get her ready. If he needed me to tame her I would do the job. I have been doing it for the last 50 years.

"Miss Alice I don't want to hit you, but if you continue to fight me I will strike you and I assure you will get hurt. I am only doing my job. You must cooperate, there is nothing you can do to change your fate, and you cannot escape us, so, please behave."

I fought my will to laugh at his tone; he was obviously intimidated by my presence and was trying to be polite. I cleaned my throat to get his attention and instantly he looked at me.

"Ivan, I am going outside for a minute, do what you have to do."

He nodded and I felt his relief mixed with Alice's horror. I left under her screams and pleads, as she struggled to break free from Ivan's hands. I heard a loud thump and Alice stopped screaming.

A few minutes later I went inside and I couldn't keep the laughter inside me anymore. A mortified Alice was dressed in a rather ugly see through lacy gray dress that exposed her feminine assets for everyone to see. She had not been given any underwear. This dress was something that she would never, ever buy much less wear by the look of sheer horror on her face.

Her hands were tied tightly behind her back with cuffs made of a black shiny metal; the material of it seemed similar to my little flogger, which meant it was vampire proof made by Marcus himself. Around her neck there was a big black collar from which hanged the letter's MV.

Oh, I definitely knew the outfit, it had Marcus signature all over it. It was what he used to subdue his more reluctant partners, using a bit of humiliation and using the female shame to be seen wearing something like this in public to make them submit to him. After a few months of indoctrination, wearing clothes that showed her body to everyone, living most of the time in careful isolation with him for only company, having enormous quantities of his venom being pumped almost daily in her body by him, subjected to a few public outings and subjected daily to Chelsea's gift in order to strengthen her dependency of her man or Master, she would be completely devoted to him and allow him to do anything to her.

I called it brainwashing mixed with Stockholm syndrome, but who am I to criticize someone's choices about how they live their lives, if they both agree with it? What I knew for a fact is that it worked, and the women he had subjected to this in the past were completely devoted to him and even when they were no longer with him this was still a life style that they followed.

I decided to play a little with Ivan.

"Very nice choice for a dress, Ivan, is this colors your personal preference?"

If he could, he would be blushing profusely; he looked at me wide eyed.

"Sir, huh…no…I…Mister Marcus said…"this guy was funny, a stuttering vampire.

"It's okay, I know what this is, did you take it from the safe house of Seattle?"

"Yes sir, Master Marcus told me where to find it in his quarters."He was still embarrassed and not looking at Alice.

Suddenly I felt a vampire presence in the neighborhood, and I saw Alice tensing. From my senses I could deduce that there were 5 vampires coming in. Ivan tensed also for a second before relaxing when sniffing their scents. Finally Marcus and the Volturi had arrived.

Both Ivan and I took our attention positions and watched as the door opened to let in, Demetri and Alec followed by Jane and Chelsea and lastly my true father figure Marcus.

"Welcome Master Marcus, Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nella pace." Ivan and I said at the same time, while we bowed in greetings.

He nodded his head at us, taking his hand to his heart.

"Thank you my braves, Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nella pace."He smiled at me and I could feel his affection for me, it was always something that warmed my cold heart. He then directed his piercing gaze upon Alice, taking in her figure and concentrating on her face. After a few seconds she lowered her eyes incapable of facing his burning intensity.

"I see you followed my instructions, may I have a few moments alone with Alice please?" noticing our hesitation, he chuckled looking at us with amusement.

"Not you Jasper, please stay." He said softly as we all turned to leave.

As soon as the door closed and we could not feel our companions in immediate location he turned to Alice and brought a finger to her chin, making her gaze directly in his eyes. Her eyes were red of her cries and her fear and anxiety were visible on her face.

"Hello Alice, my dear. As you know I don't like to waste my time. I know that you are not happy with this arrangement. I know that you don't understand how we can do this to you and I know that you are afraid. I also know that you have already seen what I expect of you and I know that you don't want it. I must be honest with you. I have had my eyes on you for a while and I knew it was only a matter of time until you were set free, because Jasper's mate was coming to him. I have arranged all so that he was here when the time came. You know what he means to me?" he asked her, waiting until she nodded.

"Then you must know that I had to do all that I could to get him to his happiness. I am sorry that his happiness is not with you and that you have deluded yourself into thinking that it was, but your loss is my gain." I just loved how serious and rational he was, Marcus, more than I, was a master manipulator, but he was serious and he was practical. He wanted her to know that her life would be with him now, and all she had to do was make the best of it.

"I will not let you go, Alice, never. I decided to keep you for eternity or until you or I find a new mate, if the gods allowed it. And if that is the case you will still be bound to me and you won't be free of the Volturi. I know that you will fight me and our future. I know you don't love me and I don't love you, but what you must understand is that if you accept me and the future I can give you, you won't be alone, you will be alive and maybe in time you can find some measure of happiness and contentment in our arrangement."She was sobbing by now but he had a smile playing on his lips.

"I know that you are wishing for death now, and I know that you are thinking that being dead is better than be my companion against your will. Take that out of your mind. Death is not an option for you. If you don't accept me you will spend all of your eternity in a cell, locked up in Volterra, or you will be handed to Jasper to do as he pleases with you, and you know that now you have no place in his life or in his house, so your destiny would be very unpleasant."We both chuckled at the clarity of the situation, as she shuddered at the alternatives.

"I am giving you a choice, as my companion at least you won't be a prisoner and you won't be alone, and I promise to be good to you if you obey me. I won't hurt unnecessarily. All you have to do is follow my rules, obey and respect me. So, what do you say, will you surrender to me and accept to be mine with all that it entails?"

I have to say, my respect for him has increased ten folds, even if it was already immensurable. He was good; he was manipulating her with the truth. In her distress and current weakness, she was being trapped in an impossible situation and her vampire survival instincts would kick in, making her accept the lesser of two evils.

She was the fly and he was the spider, as soon as she said her yes, he would bind her to him in a non verbal binding contract that used earth magic as a binder. I could feel the strength of his gift working and I could feel his manipulation of the living energy that was Alice souls making her feel as if she was at the end of a rope and he was her savior. This was old magic, from a time when pagan wizards like Marcus used magic to communicate with the supernatural and to control it. When magic was a part of people's lives, because it was real and they believed in it.

I was in awe at the man I respected more than any other in this existence because of his wisdom and strength, in seeing his real hidden power at work. It was a rare honor and I knew that Alice didn't stand a chance.

After her acceptance and surrender, he would mark her as his and claim her. Afterwards Chelsea's work would be very easy making her doubt and forget her old life and accept her new one where Marcus would be the center and the focus.

We waited in silence, me with my arms crossed in front of me, focusing on the scene in front of me. Marcus stood, tall and proud, beautiful as an ancient god, emanating raw power, lifting the chin of a scantily dressed woman holding her gaze, manipulating her vital energy, which I could feel faltering, going through the stages of hate, sorrow, anger, despair, terror, and then fear, anger, sorrow, pain, heart break, longing and finally acceptance.

He felt it even before I did.

"What is your answer Alice? You can nod or shake your head."

Nod. It was done. Quicker than lightning his mouth was on her neck and her skin was being pierced. I could see him pumping enormous quantities of his venom into her to make her smell strongly of him. Marcus was marking Alice as his with his venom; because they were not mating he had no _Aqua di Amori _to mark her. It would only slightly alter her scent by acquiring a little of his. I had never done anything similar to this to her. And I knew what was to come next.

"Keep your eyes open and look at Jasper, Alice. Do not close them at any time. Do not make me punish you right now."His voice was barely controlled; it had an animalistic edge that indicated that his beast was in charge, wanting to mark a female as his. Shit, I had to be here to see this. He was going to claim her as his own.

I had not been given order to leave so I saw Marcus turn Alice to face me, bending her on her stomach over the table, and holding her head high. Her face was a blank mask, her eyes red from her unshed tears, sorrow and pain flowing from her. He wanted her to look at me while he claimed and marked her, so that she knew that I was accepting it and that she had lost me. She also knew what was to come and her emotions only gave shame. He was not raping her. It was not romantic but he took care of arousing her and she had accepted.

She was mortified that he was taking her in front of me. I felt a small surge of pity inside of me that I quickly dismissed when I thought about the destruction of my things. She was in for a ride today. The longer she took to submit and the longer she took to accept and to enjoy his dominance over her in public the longer this would go on. It was a showing of dominance within the Volturi. She would be comforted by the other females when he allowed it. But she had said yes.

She kept her eyes open all the time looking at me, and I could feel her saying goodbye to her feelings for me. She was his now, and I felt that in time she could be happy, once she had accepted in her soul that she belonged to him. All male vampires have the urges to submit and dominate their females once in a while; it was instinctive, as it was instinctive for the females to submit when this behavior showed and have pleasure in this domination even if at first it was unwanted.

After a while he was enveloped in a bubble of pleasure and he was going over the edge. He attached his teeth to her neck and pumped more venom into her in time with the burst of his seed. She finally closed her eyes while gasping for breath as he rested on top of her. He gently and softly kissed his marks on her body surprising her. It was done, she belonged to him.

"Very good my young one, you have done well. You gave me much pleasure and you took me very well. I am much pleased with you. You are mine now. You will be an excellent companion for my eternity." He was smiling now as he redressed and I could feel her scent changing slightly, her wild orchid and lavender smell had acquired a muskier character reflecting Marcus scent. He steadied her and lowered her dress. I knew he wouldn't allow her to bathe in the next days. He picked up her leash and looked at me.

"Go call your comrades my son, as I inform my young one of our intentions and our next steps. I know you must be in a hurry to go to your loved one, I can see and smell it." He said with a knowing smirk.

"Yes Master, I have been having a nagging feeling because I left her alone early this morning and I am unaware of the whereabouts of Edward." His eye brows shoot up at this news.

"Is it possible that he may attempt to betray you?" I could sense his immediate attentiveness at my situation.

"I don't know Master. Alice has hinted to him that Isabella was with me in the future and he has disappeared. He is possibly unstable and obsessed with my mate. I have been unable to speak to him to tell him how things are going to be and no one has seen him since last night. And even Alice isn't capable of locating him."

"I see…"he said thoughtfully. "Go call your brother's and sister's; together we can try to solve things and maybe even have Demetri track him down. We are staying at the Seattle home until you move to Montana and then we will go with you. I will take Alice with me today. I want her to adjust to her new life in a tranquil environment. You said that Carlisle would come home tonight, and I would like to conference with him about our new world. I also need to tell him about my arrangements with Alice. Meanwhile you can go and see your mate. Bring her to me to Seattle today. We will come back together to speak to the Cullen's."

I smiled at him as he turned to speak to Alice. I was out the door in an instant and I spotted my companions in arms easily. They were within hearing range of the house and already on their way to meet our master.

"The Master is inside. Alice is his now. He has called you all inside. Keep your phones on and charged. Demetri, I may need you today."My declarations were met with knowing smirks from the man and deep sighs from the women who knew what this would entail.

"All you need to do is say the word and I will be at your service, sir." Demetri was a trusted friend inside the guard and we had worked and had fun many times in the past.

"When this is over, we will have a special men's night out. Is your heart going to stand a night at the "The Red Cat Club" the best strip club in Seattle?" I teased him knowing he used to joke about his 500 Th birthday approaching.

"Oh, young man, I will kick your ass any time. After all age has brought me privileges, and I bet you a lap dance paid in full by me that I can fuck at least one of the girls of the house faster than you say "_wow, Demetri you're the king"_." He smirked knowing very well that I would take the bet.

"It's a bet. You better go to the pharmacy and get a prescription of Viagra." I said to him before starting to run laughing. I heard his distant growl and the laughing of the others.

In a few minutes I was at the Cullen's and I picked up my black Corvette, my beautiful baby. I wanted to take my girl for a ride in it. Half an hour later I was outside my mate's house, and even before the first scent hit me I knew something was very, very wrong.


	19. Chapter 19

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story; it's difficult to answer each of you personally, but I want all of you to know that you give me the incentive to continue. I would like to say thanks to my beta **alexis danaan for everything, and advise you to check out her stories.**

Chapter 19

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

_Pain, despair, anger, so much anger, more pain and more anger, sorrow, worry, so much worry mingled with despair._ I had to take a deep breath and still myself with all of the control that I had gathered in my long life to not slide to the ground in pain. I needed my control; I needed my discipline now, more than ever. I knew something was terribly wrong and that my mate was in the middle of it. My heart clenched with the feelings coming from the house in front of me where I could only feel one heart beat. _I knew you did wrong in leaving them unprotected_, my beast snarled at me, trying to break free. So now, I had not only to control the external painful onslaught to my senses but I had to fight to control my beast.

I made a quick assessment of the situation, my military mind taking control of my body, trying to ease the panic that was threatening to take over my instincts. It was now broad day light and I knew that people were awake in the neighborhood, I could feel them. I had to stifle the growls that were threatening to spill from my chest as my beast tried to take control of my body. Nobody was in sight, thank the gods this was a very secluded street and the entrance door of my beloved Isabella has no front door neighbors.

I saw Charlie's police cruiser in the parking lot of my mate's house, it meant he was inside. Isabella's truck was still at the Cullen's. I could only hear one heart beat, fast and irregular_, there should be two heartbeats, two heartbeats, and not one_, _two…_ the beast growled lowly as worry crept on us both.

The air was wet from the heavy rain of the early hours of this morning but I could smell vampire. _Edward_ I thought with a growl. And with the smell of the little git, as the wind changed in my direction I smelled the wonderful, undeniably sweet scent of human blood oozing from open wounds. This time the loud growl could not be prevented. However, the heavenly smell did not register in the part of my brain that felt hunger, no; this scent was all too similar to the only living creature that mattered to me now.

The wonderful scent registered on the part of my brain that felt my emotions and allied itself with my rage and anger. I knew it was not the blood of my love; it had to be the blood of her father.

In a second I was at the front door, taking in the scent of the boy and his actions. Edward had been at the door. He had touched the door bell. The door was slightly open and the heavenly scent was getting stronger and stronger. Carefully I opened the door and took two steps inside. Immediately I saw Charlie half sitting half lying in the stairs that lead to upstairs. Alice's words came back flying to my head, she had seen him sitting on the stairs, but he was not sitting, he was broken and dying. Even from here I could see it. I looked at the door and an indentation of what it looked like a hand was on it. The door had been forced. The security lock was busted and Charlie's weapon was on the floor. I was sure Edward had done it; the scent of his palm was nauseating for me as much as the knowledge that my mate would be in pain at the death of her father. Maybe I could do something for him. I could change him, if he wanted it and his wounds permitted.

I had a tricky situation here, one that needed immediate action. I picked up my phone and dialed Rosalie's number. She picked it up at the first ring.

"Hello, Jasp…" I did let her finish.

"Rose, get your ass at Isabella's house. Tell Emmet to wait at the house until I call Marcus. He and some of the guard are in Forks. Charlie is badly wounded. I need you right now."

"We are on the way, we are just outside Forks."She hanged up.

I rushed to Charlie, as I felt him fight with all his strength to remain conscious. I could see that he had tried to reach the phone but was unable. Blood was smeared all over the front of his clothes and his heart was struggling not to give up, he had undoubtedly some grave internal bleeding. My diagnosis was proven right when I looked at his chest and saw his difficulty in breathing, probably also a punctured lung or lungs. Blood oozed from his mouth as he tried to speak, making his chest make a strange gurgling noise, and his heart beat was too faint and irregular to allow a change. There was nothing I could do; biting him to have him dying in the middle of an excruciating pain was worse than this in my book. I could hear from his struggling breathing that he was literally drowning in his own blood.

I stopped, reassuring myself of my control over my thirst, thankful again for the enormous amount of blood that I had ingested since yesterday in an effort to keep my bloodlust in control near my woman. I knelt down by his side and carefully hold to his left hand as he slowly opened his eyes, having felt someone close.

I needed some answers, he was dying fast and I needed to know what had happened before calling the emergencies, it was cold I know, but sacrifices had to be made sometimes and he was beyond help. I already knew my beloved was not in the house and her father, currently dying in front of me was the only witness of whatever had happened. Edward scent was stronger inside the house but it was not fresh, he had been here maybe two or three hours ago. He had stepped inside, in spite my mating scent all over the house.

Charlie's eyes finally focused on mine and he tried to speak.

"Who…w…Bella..."he cried weakly, his despair hitting me like a bullet through my head. His voice was hoarse and with every word blood trickled from his mouth. I used my hand to clean his mouth while I tried to take some of his pain so that he could speak more clearly. It pained me to see this proud, good man in this situation, even if he was just a human. He had become family when I claimed his daughter as mine.

"Charlie, I am Jasper…a friend of Isabella…what happened? Where is she?" I already knew who, I just needed the confirmation and details to start my hunt and to unleash the power of the House of Whitlock.

I felt the strong emotions of Rosalie coming into the house. She knelt beside him, trying to clean his face with a cloth from the kitchen. Charlie barely noticed her through his pain.

"Edwa...came…Bella…he grabbed..." Rosalie and I growled. It seemed to startle Charlie and he started coughing more blood. His breathing increasingly difficult and his heart beat franticly trying to keep him alive.

"Charlie, stay with me, wake up…stay with me, tell me…Edward grabbed who?" Rosalie said, while I tried to push more awareness into him while taking some more of his pain.

"Bella…I tried… stop him…he threw me…"It was like I had thought, Edward had behaved like the spoiled brat he was, when confronted with the weak opposition of my mate's human father, he had not even thought about controlling his temper. I bet he let his anger get the best of him. _Well, Eddie boy, once I find you, and once I retrieve my mate from your grasp, you will see what the rage of a real man is all about_; my beast growled what I was thinking myself. But worst of all in my book, and to add to the list of his crimes, was that he left this man alone to die, without even try to call for help. I would deal with him, _we will, and when we are finished he will be a shadow of what he is, because death is a too easy punishment_, my inner monster snarled.

"Easy Jasper, don't scare him more than he already is." Rosalie said softly to calm my growls.

"I am okay Rose, go to Bella's room, and see what you can find."I watched as her quickly made her way to my mate's room, before focusing my attention on the man lying before me.

Only my respect for this dying man was allowing me to keep my restraint to go on the hunt. He was my mate's father and he would not die alone. Honor was and still is something I uphold as a guideline in my life. I knew that my mate would be grateful that he didn't die alone on the floor. A man like this that had lived his whole life trying to protect his people putting his life on the line everyday deserved a better goodbye.

Rose came down, and knelt once again by his side taking his hand, pity and compassion warming her usually cold features, worry swirling around her.

"She is not there. Her towel in wet on the floor and her wardrobe is open. Her bed is made, so I think she was awake when this happened. There is no recent trace of Edward's scent inside the room, but your mating scent is very heavy, she must have been down here with Charlie. I don't see anything belonging to her missing."

I nodded. I knew what I had to do, while I kept him awake to the best of my ability. I again picked up my phone and started to devise a strategy to get my woman back.

Quickly I dialed the emergency number of Forks police and I reported a break in of Chief swan's house and that I had him but he was in a very bad shape and I could not help. We quickly prepared our cover story for the inevitable questioning.

The second call was to Peter. It took only two rings and he answered, sounding a little out of breath.

"Hello brother, it is a little…." I did not let him finish. The beast was in control and I needed his skills in here and fast.

"Peter, listen to me. Isabella is missing. Edward took her and ran. Get your ass in here and bring the others as quickly as possible. I need you to hold the fort while I go on the hunt; Isabella's father is badly wounded and I don't think he will survive, he is a police officer so the police are bound to be involved and possibly the FBI, as Isabella is missing. I need Alexis and Bastien to go to Carlisle basement. In the fridge there are several bags of Isabella's blood kept there for emergencies. Pick some of those and her truck, which is parked in front of our house. Drive somewhere not too far away and find a plausible place for her to be and then fake an accident leaving no traces of a body, use her blood to plant the forensic evidences for the police."

"Fuck, Shit, I am sorry, I am so sorry, I should have known…fuck…It will be alright, my brother. We are on our way. We got it." He ended the call, and I knew he would be here soon. I did not blame him for this. It was not his fault; his gift did not make him omniscient. He knew the end results of things not the decisions that took to those results, which was Alice's domain.

Marcus was next. I needed Alice's visions albeit useless and I needed the Volturi.

He took a little longer to answer, probably on his way to the house in Seattle by helicopter. I noticed that Charlie was unconscious again but still alive.

"Hello Jasper. I did not expect to hear from you so soon, my son."

"Master I need your help. Edward took my mate and injured my mate's father badly. I have a messy situation on my hands with a possible exposure of our secret and I need to go tracking. I already called Peter to start solving this mess, but I need Alice's visions. And I need Demetri and Alec to go on the hunt with me."

"We are on our way. Wait a moment please." He said with his thick Italian scent. I heard him ordering their group to turn back to Forks at full speed and to prepare to be in the company of humans. I heard him tell Jane and Chelsea to take Alice to the Cullen's house and to wait for more order's.

"Jasper, we will arrive in a few minutes. Stay where you are. Deal with the human authorities and after we arrive, I will take charge and you can go. Present me as your Italian uncle on your father's side and the family lawyer on vacation. I will call Carlisle and Esme so that they can be here to help me, after all they are concerned citizens and I am going to hold them responsible for this possible exposure of our secret."

"Yes Master, thank you, I believe that the family will have to relocate in a hurry and I will call Emmett to take charge of things." I felt a little relieved that things were on its way and soon I could go and hunt my woman and her kidnapper.

"Good, I want the Cullen's installed in the Montana Complex for the moment. We are on our way."

In a few seconds I had Emmet on the phone and told him to start the process of leaving town and heading to Montana. He was enraged and worried, but he knew he had to hurry. It was pointless to continue here in Forks. Even if my plans were not already made, now with this I really needed to take Isabella from here once I found her. Actually this kidnapping had given me the perfect coverage for Isabella's disappearance, all I had to do was to find her, _safe and sound_, my beast whispered.

I again diverted my attention to Charlie. He was again struggling to regain consciousness. He half opened his eyes and his hand moved weakly to grab my shirt while trying to say something.

"Shh, Charlie…preserve your strength…help is on the way…you will be alright…"

"…save my baby…plea…tell…I…love…her…"with that he exhaled loudly and a big quantity of blood left his mouth.

All I could do was swallow my venom at the sight of this and I heard a quiet sob coming from Rose.

"I will Charlie, I promise you, that as long as there is a breath in me I will look for Isabella and I will save her, and I promise you I will take good care of her."A tear fell from his eyes and I heard him coughing as his lungs started to collapse.

I heard the sirens coming fast, not even 5 minutes after I called. I did not move from my position neither did Rosalie when the police and the paramedics entered the house.

"Hang on Charlie; hang on just a while longer…" Rosalie said to him, reaching to wipe some of the blood from his face. Someone took my arm and took us aside moving us away from him. I watched as the paramedic's team busied themselves around him. I could see more and more people coming. We saw Charlie being lifted into an ambulance at the same time the paramedics were starting CPR on him. We could no longer hear his heart beat; we knew he was dead even before their human devices could indicate it.

Rosalie stood by my side and I put an arm around her shoulders as she sobbed on my chest. The show was on the road.

The rest was frantic; I made my official declarations as well as Rosalie. We simply declared that we had come to take Isabella for a day out with the family because some of us were leaving town to relocate to Italy, and that when we arrived we noticed the semi open door, we called but when no one answered, we got in and found Charlie laying down and we immediately called for help. We had searched for Bella but we could not find her. We did not mention Edward; it was of no use, as it would only lead to potential problems.

Some 10 minutes later Carlisle arrived, staying for about a minute before rushing to the hospital. He managed to present Marcus and he was allowed to be with us, while we waited to being allowed to go home. We sought a quiet place away from the confusion and that was very difficult task with all the people that was around and in the house. I saw as Rose slowly approached Marcus and obeyed his whispered command to stand by his side so that he could put his arm around her shoulders in a comforting way. We were all playing a role, and right now that role was more important than our personal feelings. Marcus was not her favorite person, because of how he viewed and used women.

My dead heart was heavy. My vampire brain processed a million things at the time. I was nauseated but I had to keep a strong front; I had allowed this to happen. I had underestimated an adversary, blinded by my love for my woman and my need to claim her. I had ignored the instincts that had made me what I am today. My whole time with my mate had been a succession of mistakes. I had let my guard down and now it was my fault that she was taken, and her father was dead. A feeling I had never felt filled me to the brim, shaking and clutching my dead heart. It took me a while to recognize it as_ fear_. I shook it out of me; I would get her back to me alive and untouched. I would make Edward pay every second of his eternity for this. I would take pleasure in breaking him to nothing. Nothing would thwart my path again.

A part of my hyperactive mind heard the police making statements of breaking and entering, murder, kidnapping. The house was being torn apart by the investigators and it seemed that the whole town had showed up and was being contained outside, through a window I saw some of the Quileute people and they were not happy. One of their elder's was my mate's father best friend and this meant that I had to deal with the wolves sooner than I thought. I heard a call being done to the FBI as it was a suspect kidnapping.

A phone call broke the frenzy of the last minutes. As Deputy Collins answered the house went silent. Our vampire ears heard what the deputy had trouble announcing. Charlie was dead.


	20. Chapter 20

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story, we have passed the **1000 r**eviews, and you have me made very, very happy; Thank you **alexis danaan for beta my story, you are a sweetheart.**

Chapter 20

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

The deputy took a deep, shaky breath and took a moment to gain some composure and steady his emotions. The concern, sorrow and anticipation were almost a physical entity in the room lashing out on me, and I focused my power on Marcus and Rose's soothing and calming emotions, thinking on my only objective. The beast that lived in my subconscientious, my animal, the primitive and instinctual part of my vampire being was focused on one thought and one thought alone. One single idea carving itself into my very soul.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

Deputy Collins then turned into the room that had gone eerily silent in expectation. His were eyes glistening with unshed tears. I could feel that these two men had been more than bother's in arms, they had been friends.

I closed my eyes for the onslaught of pain and feelings that I knew was to come.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

I heard his deep breath and I felt as his soul was filled with a steel determination.

"Charlie is dead. There was nothing they could do."

As I had predicted, after a moment of stupefaction, all the feelings I had felt before exploded mixed with a couple of new and very welcomed ones, anger and the raw and wonderful need for revenge. I took that and the determination that filled each and every single person in that room and guarded them as my own. I would deliver them with interest to the responsible for this.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

We acted out our part of surprise and sorrow when deputy Danielson, announced Charlie's death to the room. We enlisted ourselves in the effort to try and find my mate and we put ourselves at the disposition of the authorities.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

It took a little while, but as soon as we were cleared by the police we entered Marcus vehicle and we headed to the Cullen's house. We received several concerned expressions of sympathy while on our way to our car; people were really concerned about us, poor teenagers that witnessed such a horrid scene. Marcus did his role exemplarily well, supporting us and easing the worries of the town's people by saying that he and the rest of the family would provide all the support and help needed.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

As we passed through the Quileute people I could sense at least two pups in there with some elders of the tribe. I was assaulted by their hostility, anger, hate and feelings of revenge and of course, their stench. I knew their developed senses had felt vampire hands in all of this and the pups were on high alert and clearly on the war path.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

Without drawing attention to us, Marcus told the two elder's present, one of them was Charlie's friend Billy Black, to follow us to the Cullen's place, and left without waiting for their answer. This was not his first dealings with them and he knew they would follow to that neutral zone and that the angry pups would obey the orders of the tribe's elder's.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

While on our way I debriefed him as to what had happened and of what I had made to contain this possible exposure of our world and to secure my mate's safety. He calmly agreed with all of my actions and gave me control of the entire Volturi guard to find my mate and total liberty of action.

I knew why he was doing this, relinquishing his power over the guard to me. He knew that I had managed to keep my beast and myself in control and we both knew that the best way for me to continue to be in control and not going on a murdering rampage was for me to be in charge, to keep myself occupied and to start the effort of bringing my mate home, to me.

_Get my mate back. Back in our arms._

Through our peripheral view we could see 3 enormous animal shapes following parallel to the car through the woods. The elder's car should be on his way too. The dogs were impressive beasts known for their bad tempers. I wanted them to help in the search and then to comply with the new order as their elder's had complied and respected the old status quo and the age old treaties between the shape shifters and the vampires. They really had no choice; they were hostages of the rest of their tribe and would do anything to survive, even if all the males of age had the mutated gene, they would be maybe 30 trained warriors.

The tribe was small and the gene travelled only to direct descendents, and as far as we know it only to the males. They knew that the Volturi and their allies could take them easily and if they caused problems, well, we just had to put their species on the extinction list. No big loss for the world.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

Half way to the Cullen's residence, we spotted Charlotte running in the woods. We slowed down slightly and she approached the car. I rolled my tainted window and told her to be on the lookout outside Isabella's house to gain information of the situation that could help us solve this mess and to make periodical reports to Marcus.

Marcus called Carlisle and told him that we knew that Charlie was dead and that he was to head to the house as fast as possible to attend the debriefing that was going to take place. He told him to tell Esme that we were expecting the company of some of the Quileute wolves.

I was grateful for the calm and serenity that surrounded this man, my mentor, now in my darkest hour. I could only rely on my will, the calming emotions that he was sending on my behalf, and my almost certainty that Edward would not hurt Isabella. But the simple knowledge that she was alone with another male, in a place unknown to me, a male who was convinced that he had feelings for her, away of my castrating influence, was enough to drive me insane.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

We were greeted at the house by a frantic looking Esme, who hugged me, much to my displeasure; I had never fancied this kind of public displays of affection. I was not a teenager and she definitely was not my mother. My own sweet, loving mother was long dead and gone, killed by my own hand when I was a new born. I saw her taking in my new matting scent and a wave of surprise wash through her, momentarily submerging her constant emotions of worry and concern. She looked at me, surprise and worry evident on her face; she took me aside and whispered casting worried and fearful glances at Marcus.

"Jasper, something is very wrong. Alice has been marked by Marcus. His scent is all over her and I believe she has been claimed as his. Chelsea is operating her gift on her nonstop and Jane and the other Volturi are guarding her. Marcus said to us when he called us back here that she is with him now, and she has confirmed it. She is dressed as he used to dress his play things; she is exposed to everyone's eyes and she isn't speaking to me or Emmet. He also said that Isabella was missing and Charlie is in a very critical condition. And I can't find Edward. And you, you are mating? With whom? What is going on, my son?"

_Destroy the boy. Kill him._

I really had no time to explain all of the events of the last twenty four hours to her and have to repeat myself in a few minutes. I turned my back on her, dismissing her hurt feelings at my attitude and went to stand besides Marcus.

"I will explain everything later Esme, please go inside and lead everybody who is already here to the conference room, the rest will enter with us." She nodded and went to hug Rose, confusion and worry swirling around her, but she did what I told her to do.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward. _

Marcus and I waited outside for the wolves and Peter and Bastien were finishing the cover story of Isabella's death, I could no longer see her truck, Alexis was already inside and I could sense her worry for me, but also her determination. I could sense the prideful presence of the Volturi guard, Alice numbness, Emmet and Rosalie's apprehension, Esme's fear and need for assurance as she invited everyone into the study/library where was situated the conference room.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward. _

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward. _

A few minutes later we heard the loud thunder of an old pickup truck and the stench of the Quileute's wolves reached us as the truck came into the driveway, the elder's from earlier and another one, by his old age probably I could presume that he was Ateara, the eldest of the tribe, Billy Black and Harry Clearwater inside, and 3 pups outside.

Carefully, they got out of the vehicle and the pups surrounded them, snarling at us. I mustered my control and sent their way a subtle wave of calm. I could feel their apprehension, mistrust and downright hate, but I could also feel their fear of us.

And that fear was intoxicating to me, as long as they fear the vampires and of our power, that fear can be manipulated to achieve their submission to us. That is my field of expertise, and I will not hesitate into use my power to break them and their pride. After all they have much to lose, besides their lives; they have to protect the lives of everyone that they love. Oh, yes, their weakness is the tribe and its survival, their woman and children. That will make them submit.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward. _

I stepped aside and let my superior handle the situation, continuing with the manipulation of the emotional state of the wolves, sending calm, sense of security and trust their way. It actually helped me to block the constant growling inside my head made by my beast and the single thought that occupied his and my mind now. My role now was to protect my master if things got out of hand.

"Greetings warm ones. Long ago we met and a treaty was made between you and the Volturi. I was there and my memory is long. Is the memory of your tribe as long as mine?"My master asked in his velvety tones, his accent thick but his English clear.

I could feel what only can be called as his magic swirling around him, showing the elder's that he wasn't just a simple vampire. He was unbelievably powerful and a magical being by his own right. It was not difficult for me to see in him, in his cloak and with his aura of power and knowledge, not like one of the leaders of the Volturi, but as the druid high priest that he was in his human life, followed by thousands of disciples who were mesmerized by his magic, knowledge and charisma.

Ateara stepped forward, and to my disbelief, bowed slightly, awe mingled with fear as he tried to feel more of the raw power that was surrounding us, coming from my master.

"The memory of my people is as long as yours, cold one. You imposed the treaty upon us and we made up our part in it since then. I am the keeper of the stories of old. This attack to two of our people by a cold one is matter of war between us. Is the treaty made in the dawn of time destroyed?"

"The treaty still stands, I give you my word. We are holding a meeting to resolve this problem with the Swans. As you may remember the treaty states that in return for our non interference in La Push reserve and freedom for the Quileute people, you would assist the Volturi and its allies whenever asked in matters of hunting down a renegade vampire or coven."At this statement of my master all the pups started to growl loudly and preparing to jump. Immediately I took a defensive stance in front of Marcus.

I heard the old man bark something in the Quileute language and the dogs backed down.

"I may be old, but I am aware of the terms of the treaty, even if it goes against all of our beliefs. It was an agreement made under coercion a long time ago, and we had no chance but to comply with your terms. But nor I or the Council will go against the sacred word of our ancestors. We will help the hunt."

"Good, now that it's settled, the elders and the leader of the pack must join us inside for the meeting, we must start preparations and some explanations are in order." The growling started again, and this time one of the dogs phased back to a very naked human. He was a man in his mid twenties, dark complexion and radiating absolute mistrust and hatred towards us. He emanated an aura of command. I knew then that I had in front of me the leader of the pack.

"I am Sam Uley, alpha of the pack and there is no way in hell that we go inside that house with you leeches."

Even before we could answer, the strange language of the Quileute elder made the dog retreat, showing profound hate and dissatisfaction. The look that the elder send his way was enough to make him submit.

"You must forgive our protectors, cold one. The idea of us being inside that house with your kind is deeply disturbing for them. I will make a compromise though. I will go inside as well as the pack leader, but the others remain here, and if anything happens to us we will go to war."He was feeling smug; maybe their numbers were greater than he led on. Foolish old man.

"I give you my word as an elder of my people and as a sacred man that you will not be in any kind of danger what so ever inside, I will respond for your safety personally."

The elder nodded, and after some heated argument with the other members of the tribe, which ended by the lifting of a tribal staff by the old man that brought the immediate submissive stance of all the other Quileute, we made our way inside.

I could still feel the strong emotions, but I felt also their courage as they walked slowly with us the path to the entrance stairs. My senses felt the incoming arrival of Peter and Bastien and I knew they would enter the house by the back door.

It was time to get to work and to bring my woman back to me. My mate. My Isabella. My love.

_Yes. Get my mate back. Destroy Edward. _


	21. Chapter 21

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story, you know who you are, and I love you all for it.

The chapters of this story are being betaed with a big delay by my sweet beta. I could wait for her but that would mean that you would have to wait even longer for the updates and it is taken too long already between chapters, so I hope you don't mind the errors and mistakes, which are only mine. Once the reviewed version is ready I will replace the mistakes. Until then I ask for your comprehension.

I would like also to tell you that **I have a new story, it is called "The menace", and it's a Jasper x Bella,** and it is my usual dark. So, you are welcome to go and check it out.

Chapter 21

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

My saving mantra was back in my mind while we walked inside the house. I could feel all the emotions inside the house and the cocktail was explosive for me, threatening my already week control.

All I wanted was give up, grab Demetri and go on the hunt for my woman. But I could not, I had responsibilities and this was my first challenge ever since I was nominated as the governor. My guard counted on me and the Volturi's eyes were on me too. But most of all, my mate needed me to keep my head as clear as I could to end her ordeal as soon as possible. She needed me to be the cold, unfeeling warlord that was my public persona, and to do what I was best at, strategize and planning.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

So, maybe now my saving mantra was what I needed to survive this. I could focus on it and do my job. I made a promise to myself witch my inner beast all heartily accepted. Isabella would never again leave my sight for as long as I lived, not for a second. I felt like a piece of my soul was missing, I had never felt such loss, not even when I had killed my beloved mother and lost my family.

_Get my mate back. Safe in our arms. Destroy Edward._

We reached the conference room, and as I had predicted the head seat was settled for Marcus. Almost everyone was already seated but there were some places left for the two Quilleuts at the end of the table, who took them as if they were a dangerous animal; for Carlisle and for me next to Markus. I did not take any seat without my master's permission. I took my place behind Marcus as protocol demanded and as a show of my true allegiances.

_My mate, my beautiful innocent mate. We will destroy Edward._

I felt a little wave of guilt, sorrow and love directed to me and it was enough to take me from my saving mantra. I looked down and saw Alice, already kneeling by Marcus left side looking tired and weary. Marcus scent was all over her and the smell of sex coming from her was very strong. I tasted her emotions and I could feel the beginnings of detachment and indifference towards the things around her. Chelsea's gift was wearing down her ties to the Cullen's; in a few weeks she would be unable to leave Marcus and the Volturi even though she would always long for the life she had lost.

She kept shooting quick fearful glances to Marcus and longing ones to me until a subtle hiss from Marcus put her in her place and she lowered her eyes. I felt the anger and sadness coming from the Cullen females in the room at Alice's situation, but wisely they did not mention it to the males, that would not have been healthy for them.They knew that we males are always in control, always in charge, especially when we are someone like my master or me. The Cullen women were considered very lucky ones by the rest of the female vampire population.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

I did not know if he was going to put all in the clear now or not. I heard rustling and Carlisle walked in, looking weary and heartbroken, he sighed as he saw the disposition of the people at the table. Sadness and disbelief emanated from him as he took in Alice's position and he took in her new scent. As he went to take his seat by Marcus right side, Marcus stopped him and turned to the table.

"I would like for Jasper to take his rightful place by my side from now on, as he is the warlord and governor of the American continent, and the rightful representative of the Volturi in this land. His word is law and his law is absolute. Absolute obedience and compliance are required towards him at all times as is required towards the Volturi." There it was, blunt and quick like his kills. The cat was out of the bag. I could feel his amusement at the Cullen's and Quilleuts shocked faces and their feeling of betrayal. I could also feel the joy, anticipation and expectation of both my guard and the Volturi's.

"I have also taken Alice as mine, and both Jasper and she have agreed. I will not tolerate any questions about this at this moment. All of this will be explained in due time, now we have a more pressing matter. You are all aware of the disappearance of Isabella Swan, the killing of her father and the huge mess caused in this town by some members of the Cullen family. We are gathered here to decide what is going to be done to solve this crisis. So, I pass you my commander and your governor, Jasper Christian Whitlock, your new master. He will take charge of this situation and the Volturi guard present here is at his command. I expect from all of you the same obedience towards him that you have for the Volturi." He smiled at me as he waved for me to take my seat at his right. Carlisle swiftly took a seat besides Esme, the incredulity and despair at the tumbling down of his world swirling around him.

_Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

I took a deep breath to steady myself. I let my inner soldier to take control of my actions. The disciplined and terrifying warlord was out to play.

"I will summarize the situation, and I will not be interrupted. Isabella Swan is my mate. Alice and I were never mates. I allowed the deception of Isabella and Edward's childish relationship to go on while I got hold of my thirst and I worked into building the foundations of the new order that my master's the Volturi decided to implement more than a century ago." I looked around the table to see if everyone was able to comprehend what was being said.

_Yes. Get my mate back. Destroy Edward._

"I have decided last week to finally claim my mate as mine. As she is still human I had to proceed with care. I made the first steps of the mating yesterday and was taking it as slowly as possible. As some of you are aware my mate Isabella is special."I said proudly."She is capable in her human form to block some gifts. That is true for Alice's and Edward's gifts and the reason why Alice decided to betray me. She simply could not accept that she was not my mate. So and accordingly to her own confession to me a few hours ago, she willingly fed Edwards jealousy and childish behavior by showing him some specially selected visions of me and my mate, that made him break in into my mate's house, kidnap Isabella and in the process kill her father." I once again paused taking in the sorrow, anger, pain, disbelief, determination in the room, and let them pass by me as I hold on to my mantra.

My Isabella's eyes, her scent, her face in ecstasy, and her breathless _I love you_ from last night.

_Get her back to us. Destroy Edward._

No one dared to utter a word; they could probably feel my own whirlwind of emotions and felt better to be quiet, so I went on.

"She is mine, she was born to be mine and I want her back. Alice is already being punished by her part in this. I want Edward punished to the full extent of the law, of all laws known to anyone on this table, both human, pack and vampire ones. I will give him no mercy, no lenience. I want Charlie's death avenged, but I warn you all Edward's life belongs to Isabella and me, the offended parts. Now, I will ask each and every one of you. **Who. Is. With. Me**?"I could not manage to keep the growl out of my voice, the need to go hunt my mate too much for me to control.

I watched as the Volturi's immediately raised their hands, the same for my trusted guards, who were beaming in pride. I saw Emmet looking deep into Rosalie's eyes, before both raising their hands. I was glad that they were taking my side. I turned then to Carlisle and Esme, raising my eyebrows at them, making Carlisle sigh before answering my silent question.

"I am sorry Jasper, it is all too sudden. We were not aware of any of this. But you cannot expect that we go on the hunt of my oldest son, your brother. He was our first companion and my conscience and my love for him would not allow it. That does not mean I do not which you success on retrieving Isabella, but I beg you compassion for my Edward. He is just a young, confused boy."I went to speak but Marcus beat me to it, making me smile. Carlisle was in for a shame ride.

"Without wanting to step on my commander territory I must say Carlisle, that you disappoint me. An innocent young girl in the first stages of being claimed as a mate, and her father, an innocent brave man are the victims of a foolish child you call son, and yet you refuse to see the truth. You have raised a spoiled child that doesn't like to be denied anything. She was never his mate. You must take responsibility for your actions."He said sternly, and Carlisle bowed his head in shame.

"If you want to have a family and not a coven as you claim, then you have to raise the young ones well in the respect of the traditions of our race, of our kind, that you seem to despise so much. One of those sacred laws that even you don't dare to challenge says "_that you shall not touch another vampire mate_ _once she is claimed, or in the process of being claimed by a male_", is it possible that he wasn't aware of the laws of our kind_?_ Haven't you thought him anything?" His voice was steadily rising as his anger at Carlisle chosen path.

"I smelled Jasper's matting scent all over the Swans house, it will stay there for days and everyone with advanced senses can smell it. He knew, he was aware of what was taking place. You are responsible for the people that live in your house. So you are also responsible for this. You will stay in this house until the hunt is over and Jasper's mate is safe, and you will place your family under the Volturi's mercy."He was seething at Carlisle hate and despise for what he was, but Marcus was right, all the Cullen's except for Carlisle knew almost nothing of our laws, traditions and ways, Carlisle made sure of that in his obsession of being human.

Carlisle nodded, incapable of saying anything else, his worry and fear for his family stronger than ever, Marcus looked at me and waved for me to proceed.

"Peter, Alexis and Bastien, report."I said, wanting this to get over with. Peter stood at attention, looking me straight in the eyes.

"As you instructed us sir, we took Isabella's blood from the basement refrigerators, and we took her truck. We made as if she was going sightseeing. We found a secluded road and we made the car went down the cliff, straight into the ocean; we did not use the blood because the sea water will wash everything. We made it appear that she was spit out by the driver's door of the truck upon impact, the water is not deep in that spot and the truck can be seen underwater by anyone passing by. For all intents and purposes she fell into the ocean and is now dead, her body lost, I believe that the police will say that the cause of death may be either suicide or a freak accident." He radiated smugness, and I knew it had been his idea. I really did not care, as long as my mate had no problems with the authorities once I got her back.

"Very good Peter; Charlotte is at Isabella's house gathering information. We need this information to reach the investigators as soon as possible; they were going to call the FBI."

Alexis stood. "Sir, I can go in my car and phone the authorities, reporting that I just saw a truck going through the cliff. And help Charlotte keep an eye on things. I can also retrieve some items from Isabella's room, if you would like, sir." I really, really liked this sweet girl.

"Yes, you do that. Make sure no one see's you. She loves her books and her music. Get some of her clothes too. Ah…and pictures from her, from her friends and family. Don't take anything too obvious. And take also something from her father's that can be meaningful to my mate. Go."

She smiled at me and was out the door.

I turned to Marcus.

"Master, I need to interrogate Alice. I need her visions. Even through the weird block that Isabella has, she may give us something useful."In vampire etiquette, the polite thing to do is always ask the male for permission before talking to the female. He nodded, stood and picked Alice up, placing her by his side. She was as submissive as she could be, and I had never seen Alice like this. He placed a finger under her shin and lifted her head a little.

"You know what to do, little one. Do not try to deceive me or I will punish you severely. It's in your interest to redeem yourself for this mess you helped to create."He told her firmly.

We all saw how she shivered in fear of him and whimpered, and that made some of the Volturi chuckle. They were partial to showing fear, especially from your companion.

Her eyes glazed over when she managed to reign on her emotions.

"I see him surrounded by snow, trees, Oregon, Canada or Alaska, maybe." Immediately I turned to Bastien.

"Bastien, Emmet get on the road, run as fast as you can and go to the Denali's. Approach stealthily, and keep your mind blank, in case he is there. If you spot Isabella call immediately for back up. Stay there until we call you. If you have to engage Edward in a fight you must remember to not think about your moves, he reads minds so fight on instinct, and protect my mate."

They were out the door even before I had finished. Both eager to help and to get into the action.

"Rosalie you will take charge of moving, Esme, Carlisle, start packing the house. We are moving to my headquarters' in Montana. Jane, Alec and Felix will help you. At the same time we will be seen in the community, I don't want suspicious behavior. You are not to return to this house for many, many years, I want to house empty by the time the funeral services come, we will attend and then leave." I turned my glare on them to show there was nothing else for them to do but to obey me.

Then it was time for the wolves.

"How many wolves can you lend to help the search?"

The Quilleuts talked between them, shooting stares in my direction once and awhile.

The elder one turned to me.

"We want to honor the agreement made with the Volturi because it seems that you are the new power of your kind in here. But we must know first if you will honor the treaty made by our forefather's?"

_Oh, fuck_. I have other things to do.

"Yes, you have my word as the governor of the American continent, and as a warrior that I will uphold any treaty celebrated between the Volturi and the Quileute pack, with my life. Now, I want your vow also, to respect my power and authority, and to grant help whenever I need."It could work both ways.

I could feel their displeasure as they eyed each other, but the defeat was clear around them. They were well aware of our power. The pups thought they could play us and find loop holes in this new order. _Though luck._

"Very well cold one. You have the word of me and my people and our descendents that we will uphold the old treaties, and we recognize you as the Volturi's voice in this continent. We will grant you help whenever needed and we will seek your help whenever we need in deals with your kind."

"I accept." I reached my hand over the table to shake his, cringing my noise at the smell coming from them all.

"We will not leave our people unprotected, and we don't have many wolves. Our pack leader will go with you, and stay until conclusion; he is a very good tracker. We have also decided to alienate young Isabella from the human race, as we know now that she will not remain human much longer."

"Good, then I need you to take this phone, and start tracking from Isabella's house direction north. Follow the trail he might have left. He is on foot and he was carrying a weight, there must be tracks. He has maybe 4 hours on us. Call if you find anything relevant, the numbers are already recorded." I tossed him a pre paid phone and with a nod he and the elder where outside.

Obviously they were in a hurry to get out of our sight.

I turned to Alice again, hearing what she was saying to Marcus.

"I don't see Bella; he is clear in my vision now. I see a cave… he is moving towards a cave. He is not making decisions. Ah… he is staying in the north, to hunt, Anchorage…shopping for Bella...I don't know when."Finally a break through; a corner of my mind scanned her emotions in search for any kind of deceit. I couldn't find any. Defeat was all she was feeling. In a fraction of a second we were on our feet, adrenaline or its vampire equivalent rushing through our veins. The excitement was palpable and I was feeling hopeful for the first time.

_Get my mate back. Soon, soon she will be with us. And then…Destroy Edward._

"Demetri, Peter you may have a difficult time tracking her, so pay attention. Pass the word around to everyone, we go to Anchorage. Master, I would like for you to take command and maybe represent the family in the ceremonies if we are not here in time."

He nodded.

"Go, go get your heart and soul, my son." I didn't need to be told twice. I was out the door quicker than lightening, the other two hot on my trail. The hunt for my mate was on.


	22. Chapter 22

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

I would like also to tell you that **I have a new story, it is called "The menace", and it's a Jasper x Bella,** and it is my usual dark. So, you are welcome to go and check it out, and maybe you can leave a review or two.

Hopefully my beta **Alexis danaan** will correct this chapter sometime later on. I just don' want you to wait too long between updates. Meanwhile please excuse my grammar and spelling mistakes.

And today's chapter is a surprise treat especially for all of you that have reviewed this story. **Enjoy!**

Chapter 22

The Warlord's Mate

**Edward POV**

I looked down at the unconscious bundle I held tightly in my arms while I ran full speed to Alaska. Instinctively I held her closer to me; I knew that it was far too cold for her here so up north and in the wild. She had only a dress robe on her naked body. But I had to get her away from Forks and from the evil that had set foot in there, as fast as I could, and I had not taken anything for her to dress, apart from the comforter that was in the back of her father's chair.

I had wrapped her in it to keep her warm after I had injected the chloroform into her delicate veins, something that had pained me very much to do.

It had been necessary though, to make her stop fighting me. I was going to thank Alice later, for the tip she gave me to take a syringe with chloroform with me when I went to Bella's house because she would be irrational and would not listen to me.

A few hours earlier in my house, after Bella's incomprehensible outburst at me in the morning, Alice had showed me her visions and I knew I had to protect my mate against the demon that wanted her. She stayed with me while I tried to reign in my anger and said that I had to take Bella as far away from here and as far away from Jasper as I could, or the future I wanted with her would be forever lost. I had said goodbye to my sister and took off to make preparations to save my beloved, I told Alice I would be back later.

I had been back much later that night and I had seen Alice through the eyes of the thing that held her. She was in a terrible situation, almost naked showing to everyone how her body had been terribly abused. She was unconscious, no doubt due to her ordeal, which seemed odd because we are vampires, we don't faint.

It was obvious to me that she was being held against her will by a horrible Volturi monster to be handed to another monster. Apparently Jasper had sold her to Marcus Volturi to be his slave, if I was correct in my reading of the creatures mind. My poor, innocent sister.

Marcus was an evil greater than Jasper himself.

He was an abuser, a rapist, a sadistic man who thrived on the pain and humiliation of young women, whom he manipulated into living with him and his unholy ways. The poor things were striped from their minds, their self esteem and off their dignity becoming sex driven slaves who did everything for his attention.

His thoughts about women were so disgusting and twisted that on the one occasion that I met him I did not even addressed a word to him, refusing ostensibly all his attempts to befriend me. I did tell Carlisle that his taste in friends really needed to be reviewed. It would do him or the family no good to associate with that kind of perverted and sinful people.

I made perfectly clear to everyone that I would not taint myself by talking with this thing or even to be in the same place as he or his kind, and made all that I could to make him and all the Volturi to feel very much unwelcome to our house and family. My attitude earned me some frowns and glares from Carlisle, but I ignored them.

After all Carlisle's behavior towards Esme was sometimes almost animalistic and repulsive. Downright shameful and disrespectful in the way he let his inner monster to physically abuse his mate.

Even if she seemed like to be taken that way in front of everyone. The memories of those occasions always make me shudder.

However, one thing puzzled me. Even though everyone was aware of Marcus disgusting way of life, he was revered by everyone who knew him. The thoughts I picked up from random people, some of whom I used to consider as good, decent friends, showed him as a sort of kind spiritual adviser and counselor for the vampire world. He was seen as very wise ancient vampire, a role model in the vampire world, and was considered the heart of the Volturi.

I could never, would never be able to see him as more than a sick, perverted, satanic man, who should never have been born, and whose soul must be seated right next Satan himself.

He refused to believe in God all mighty, instead he worshiped a nameless Goddess, creator of Earth and humanity. He believed in the sorcery of ancient, dark and ungodly times, and he practiced it still.

Most of the vampire world following him in this supposed religion.

Sorcery, paganism, blood and sex rituals, raw sex and lust were all he preached and practiced. Things about the man belonging to nature under the eye and in the heart of his so called goddess; He urged vampires to take example from the way the animals lived and to revere them as the closest thing to the primordial times when gods, men and animals were one and lived in harmony.

He even negated the sanctity of marriage as the rightful place to indulge in intimate relations, saying that sex was a gift of life and of the gods to man and should be enjoyed without rules or care by everyone. That the human body was made to feel pleasure and that by seeking sexual pleasure and enjoying sex men and women could touch the very core of the creator and reach heaven.

He was the prophet of all things that lead to anarchy and depravity. He was the main contributor to the loss of morality in an already depraved and monstrous race; and it seemed I was the only one to see this, no matter how much I made my knowledge known to the others in my family.

It was impossible to free Alice that night. I would set Alice free from her disgusting jailer and horrible destiny once I had dealt with the dark demon that had caused all this inconvenience. Even the Volturi were no match for my skills, of that I was sure. No matter how rude, offensive and inconvenient I was with them, they had never dared to attack me. Obviously they feared my gift and my skills, and if I was overpowered Carlisle and my family would side with me. After all we, those who keep their humanity and feed from animals are a superior kind of vampires.

I bid my time and swallowed my anger when I felt the demon inside my beloved's room. I did not go inside nor did I get too close. I could not provoke a fight inside a house harboring humans and in a street with neighbors. That could make the Volturi intervene before I had taken Isabella to safety, and before I was prepared for them. I managed to leave unwatched by the monster. I went to hunt and only come back around in the morning.

The window of my beloved's room was closed and I knew I had to break the front door to get in the house. I noticed a foul scent but once again I paid no mind, maybe a wolf had been near the house. My focus was my beloved.

I had been so preoccupied by the horrible visions that my sweet sister Alice had shown me and by the knowledge that the demon had spend the night with my love, that I did not even thought to check if anyone in the house was awake, even after I saw Charlie's cruiser in front of the house.

My love's father caught me when I broke through the front door, jumping in surprise and dropping his cup of coffee, immediately screaming at me all sort of profanities and reaching for his gun; really the man had no education at all. Bella came down a few seconds later alerted no doubt by the noise of our arguing. I could see that she had recently taken a bath and her hair was wet. She joined her father in his anger at me. To my utter surprise.

It had puzzled me her resistance and apparent displeasure to my presence in her house, and her attitude had in turn fuelled my anger even more.

Through my enhanced senses I could see right through the thin dress gown that she had covering her naked body. I knew it was Summer time but it was highly inappropriate of her to be like this in front of two males, even if one of them was her father. I would tell her that later so that she learned to preserve her modesty and decency as is fitted to my girlfriend.

That thought was all but obliterated though when I saw the bruises all over her body and the sight made me want to cry and to kill and destroy at the same time.

My pure angel was not pure anymore, at least not pure like me.

She had been touched in places I had never seen or touched her and if I am honest I had never thought she possessed. She is just so pure that I am blissfully content when I chastely kiss her and just thinking of the gruesome physical acts that everyone in this immoral age seems so found of, makes me a little sick.

She had been abused, violated. And the person in her room last night had been my former brother, Jasper. I had felt him in there, it was difficult to believe that he had done this to her. Despite Alice's visions and warnings, a small part of me couldn't believe it.

My rage went up a few notches. He would pay for this sin against me.

Manly hand prints were all over her perfect skin. I really hoped that those bruises would be gone in a short period of time. They were not nice to look at, not only because they remembered both her and me of what happened last night, but because it blemished one of the things I loved most about her, her perfect alabaster skin. She looked like the porcelain dolls that my dear mother was so found off and that I always admired from afar. She would once again be my doll, once I got the world ridden of this beast.

It was obvious to everyone who saw those bruises that Jasper had abused her in terrible ways. And I would most certainly be taking pictures of her bruised body once I got her to safety to show everyone the state I found her in, and therefore prove this demon's actions against me and my beloved.

Yet, what was also strange was that it seemed that Bella was very angry at ME, me of all people. She babbled nonsense's, saying that we were over, that she had ordered me to stay away of her life and that she loved Jasper with all her heart and always did. And that she was his and could never belong to no one else.

How could that be, if her blood sang for me and me only, and her mind is silent to me surely to bring me my much needed peace in this immortal life. She was mine even before she was born, it was obvious to everyone. All what was left for us to do is to be married in church to make it official.

Silly innocent girl, Jasper is Alice's. After all they are married. Even if he isn't a good husband to her, and he doesn't treat her like she deserves. It was difficult for me to see him ordering Alice around all these years and forcing her to do despicable sexual things to him, sometimes in front of all of us. But she loves him, and so he gets away with everything he does to her. She even let him physically punish her for misbehaving.

I still cringe at the memory of her screaming at this demon husband, begging him to stop hurting her.

He truly was a monster, a killer, an assassin wordy of figuring between the worst demons that ever walked this land of god.

And Bella went on and on with her silly rant, saying for me to get out of her house and not listening to me when I told her that she was in danger and that Jasper was going to hurt her. That we had to get away from Forks immediately. It was the only way to protect her.

All of this in the presence of her father who was trying to stop me from reaching her to sooth her troubled and obviously damaged mind. I really started to fear for her sanity. It was evident that she was under so much shock due to her ordeal last night that she couldn't think strait.

This was making me angrier by the minute. She was behaving like a disobedient child.

I took a moment to calm myself out of my worried angry state.

I took a deep breath and then, I really smelled her.

Gone was the wonderful scent of my singer, the heavenly scent meant all for me, made only for me in the whole world. From her most private place came a faint, but definitely there male scent. The same scent that was all around and in the house. Even in the surrounding areas of the house, was in her, in all of her skin!

It was Jasper's scent. Come to think of it all in here reeked of him in the strangest yet strong way, like if his scent had just become stronger and it held a repulsive quality in it. That is how it felt to me at least; it made me want to puke and to get away from the smell as fast as I could. In a very strange, bizarre way it frighten me, making me think of something forbidden.

I had never smelled anything like that in all my years, it felt like he was marking something, like when the dogs pee on several trees to mark their inner territory, so strange. I never knew vampire's scent could be this strong or this repulsive.

Maybe he ate something that was not good for us, maybe bad blood? I was glad I did not smell like that though, it would be difficult to live with myself. I almost had to close all my senses to be able to stay inside the Swan house now that I was aware of it because it was so strong. He definitely will not go back to live in the Cullen's house smelling like that, even if he is forgiven for his trespasses against me and my love and he survives my wrath for what he did.

I come to a halt in my musings when I sensed Isabella starting to stir in my arms. It had been a few hours since I gave her the chloroform, and she was starting to awaken. I made a quick calculation and looked around me. I saw a small cove in the rocks, well hidden and free of snow.

I looked up and saw a storm forming and night falling. Oh, dear lord, I needed to take her to my hiding place where it was clean and dry. I could build a fire and warm her up. If only she did not had that disgusting scent on her, clinging to her body. It made breathing near her difficult. Her new scent repulsed me, but I would not give up her.

She was mine after all, and I believe the foul smell would go away in time. Maybe if I make her bathe very often.

We were near Anchorage, maybe 100 miles away. It was a good spot to hide, once I got to where I wanted to go. An abandoned bear cave I had found in one of my hunts. It was the perfect place to keep her safe. I put her on the ground and after checking her vital signs I injected another dose of the drug. It made her asleep instantly.

I picked her up and went on the run again. I was close.

The cave came into sight after an hour. It had a big boulder on its entrance to stop the wild life from coming in. I laid Bella on the ground and took the bolder aside. It was clean and dry inside, and the things I had left here last time were still in place.

I picked Isabella up again and laid her on the small cot I had against one of the stone walls, and covered her with the sleeping bag I had bought some years ago. I lighted the electric lamp in one of the corners and I made a quick assessment.

I needed water and food for her. I needed also some clothes for her. I could not be in her presence with her almost naked, we were not married and even then that was just inappropriate. I could feel the temperature dropping and using some wood from the entrance of the cave I quickly built a fire in the wall in front of her.

She would sleep until morning so I decided to go for a quick hunt and then go to the village nearby to buy the first supplies for her. Later, maybe in two or three days I would diminish the quantity of drug to give her and I would explain all she needed to know. I would go then to Anchorage in order to buy all I needed to make the cave more suitable for my Bella.

After all she would be here for a while with me, sharing a life, depending on me and my skills as a provider. We would read together, and take long walks together hand in hand, we would talk and I would impress her again with my knowledge of the world. This was just what we needed; some quality time alone, for her to forget those stupid, silly notions that she had on her mind now.

I was almost giddy at the thought.

Of course I would also have to start planning Jasper's demise by my own hands. I would defy him for a fight till death. I knew that fueled by my hate and righteous indignation against him I would win. My superior skills are on my side; I am faster, younger and I can read his mind. The demon won't stand a chance and would pay for what he had done to my love and to me.

I just hoped her father would not cause me too much trouble for these events. I know he must be very mad and angry with me, for what I had done. I still don't get why he was so mad at the time… I mean trying to shoot me? Why? All I ever wanted was to protect Bella, just like him.

I know I was a little impulsive when I pushed him aside and maybe I used a little bit more of strength than needed. I hardly saw what happened to him when I threw him of my path to Bella, because I was so focused on her, who was screaming at me like she had never done before. But nothing too bad had happened to him, I believe.

He was a man, a sheriff, and therefore used to be manhandled. I don't think he was hurt too badly while he lay on the bottom of the stairs, maybe some broken ribs, I did not even smelt blood coming from him.

And…I mean it was his fault standing in front of me with a gun. I was already having a hard time concentrating and keeping my anger at bay because of the situation. Bella wasn't helping either, screaming like a maniac and refusing to see reason, or listen to me.

That was when I had had enough of her behavior and I had reached her and pulling the syringe against her neck, I injected the chirurgical chloroform, to calm her; after all I had a medical degree too. I knew I would not damage her too much by this, and it was what she needed. She immediately went limp and I took her in my arms.

Where Isabella truly belonged.

I turned to Charlie, listening to his frantic heartbeat, no doubt due to adrenaline rushing through his veins. He was conscious, but very angry.

"Chief Swan, I promise you that I will keep her safe until the danger is gone. Then I will bring her home and I will talk to you about my intentions with her. I promise you my intentions are honorable. Don't worry about her, in a few weeks she will come home."

Well, minus my act of unwilling violence against her father, which I will profusely apologize once I can defeat the evil that Jasper represents, all had gone well. I am sure he will forgive me in time, once he sees how happy Bella is.

I had made it; she was safe from those demons.

I checked her again and in an impulse decided to take the pictures of her marred body right away, fearing that the bruises would fade and would not be so impressive later. Without looking much to her body and feeling ashamed to be exposing her like this, I opened her dressing gown and with my phone camera I took as many pictures as I could.

I made sure to photograph all the bruises while I maintained my chastity. I moved her around lifting her up by her arm so that she was clearly visible and the proof of her abuse could be seen by all. When I was satisfied I redressed her and tucked her in her bed.

I walked outside the cave's entrance and I gathered more wood for the fire. I made sure the fire would last a few hours. Then I went outside and I put the bolder again against the entrance effectively sealing the way in; I left a slight opening at the top to let enter some light and air and for the smoke to leave. She would be fine for some hours. I started to run feeling better than I had since two days ago. I had my love, my life, my existence with me and she was safe!

While I ran I thought of her; she is so beautiful, so innocent.

But now that beauty and innocence were tainted, her body, and her beautiful mouthwatering scent tainted.

Tainted by a monster!

By the person I thought of as a brother, the brother I will kill to protect my beloved.

Jasper, the embodied definition of everybody's worst nightmares; I had to stop a shiver at the things I saw in Alice's mind. And I had to block my memory the recall of the things I saw through the years of living with him. He had only three loves in his life: war, death and destruction.

And now, he was hell bent in destroying all that I cherished in the world.

My mate, the woman that one day will be my wife. The woman that the god al mighty finally decided to put in my path to ease my lonely life. I would not let him take her away from me. I would not let him destroy or taint her anymore. I would protect her. After all I was her savior and she would love me all the more for it.

**Jasper POV**

I ran.

And I ran fast.

And I ran harder.

Nothing on my mind as the thrill of the hunt took my senses by storm and left nothing in its path but instinct and need.

My brains send me an impulse. Hunger, need for sustenance.

I would need to feed to be stronger. The time for veggie food was over.

Time to cut the deceptions and the weaknesses, and get back to my natural food source, human blood.

Two heart beats.

Five miles away, male and female, alone in the woods, camping.

By a fire. Calm and peaceful.

Awareness.

Surprise, fear, pleading, pain. Screaming.

Blood. Red. Thick. Sweet. Rich.

Feeding, nourishing, filling, fulfilling.

Perfect. Blissful, heavenly.

So long, so long without it.

One more pull, and another, and another, again and again.

More. And more.

Sated. I ran.

_Get my mate. My Isabella. Destroy Edward._

**AN/**Well, did you enjoy this? Let me know what you think of Eddie boy actions and thoughts.


	23. Chapter 23

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to every one of you who **reads **and **reviews **my story.

This story is kindly being pre read by **Savage Grace,** who gives me some very valid inputs and helps me anyway she can. Thank you so much.

And it is being betaed from this chapter on by **mama4dukes**, who has taken a little of her busy time to help me and I cannot thank her enough. If you can go and **check her stories, they are amazing.**

I would like also to tell you that **I have a new story, it is called "The Menace", it's a Jasper x Bella,** and it is my usual dark. So, you are welcome to go and check it out.

**Chapter 23**

**The Warlord's Mate**

**Isabella POV**

Weightless…

Dreamless…

Nothing…

Daddy…

Edward…

Jasper…Daddy…

Slowly I awake. My body is a ball of pain. My mind is a clouded fog where my thoughts don't seem to stay. I reach on to hold something, just to keep awake, but my arms don't move.

I can't feel my extremities; my hands and legs seem nonexistent as I try to move them to no avail.

Thinking is a difficult thing to do now. How long have I been like this? In this darkness? In this limbo?

Time is irrelevant in this darkness, but after awhile I feel that the darkness is becoming less oppressive. My senses slowly return to me along with some feeling to my body.

I smell smoke. I see a rough stone roof over my head.

Smoke? Stone? Where am I?

A shadow moves in the limit of my eye sight…a cold hand caresses my check.

A velvety voice speaks,"Relax Bella, you are safe…you are with me…he can't get to you anymore."

But the velvet of that voice does not bring safe with it, it brings fear and pain and anger.

Oh! So much anger.

Edward!

Memories flood me, breaking through the fog that resides in my brain…seeing Edward in my house, Charlie trying to protect me…Charlie flying…crashing to the ground, not moving.

Jasper…my Jasper…where is he? Fear and anguish sweep through me.

I remember screaming…and now, I don't know if the screaming is coming from my memories or if it comes from my sore, thirsty throat. But the sound just keeps going on and on, loud as the thunder I hear.

_Jasper._ I whisper his name to myself.

With the sound, adrenaline comes rushing and my mind is almost free clinging to that name, while my body screams in pain, and anger, and hate, and despair.

Jasper.

His name is a prayer giving me hope…Jasper, Jasper!

He will come to me. He will come to save me. I know it in my very soul, so I concentrate with all my might on him, on his face, on his smell, on his power, on his love for me as he showed me last night when he took me as his, until he is all I can apperceive in my mind. I concentrate on been seen, on being able to tame this thing that makes me invulnerable to vampire gifts. Maybe if I try it hard enough they'll manage to find me.

My Jasper. My mate. My love. My man. My one and only. _Find me. Save me._

The shadow, Edward, comes again, taking my arms and shaking me hard…this time screaming at me to stop. Edward…

A sting in my arm…and then the bliss of darkness, with a name on my lips…Jasper.

_Jasper POV_

I ran.

I ran like I had never run before with the other two hot on my trail, the human blood I had consumed giving me the extra speed and strength I needed.

My thoughts were all consumed by the hunt and by my mate; her scent, her eyes, her mouth, her emotions, her love for me. My mantra was long gone as my beast took control of my body and of my soul. Edward was fast but I, I was running with the wrath of hell in my heart, vengeance clawing at my own soul.

I would do anything to have her back with me. I would kill, molest, hurt, torture and destroy to have her back in my arms again. Faintly I heard Peter calling the others to tell them the news. I could feel Demetri extending his ability to sense the tenor of Edward's mind and surpass the block of my mate's ability.

_My Isabella…_

We arrived in Alaska when dawn was approaching. Anchorage was a few miles ahead of us, it's lights illuminating the darkness of the cold tundra.

It had been almost a day since my mate was taken from me; a day alone with another male, a day in which she may have been injured, a day in terrible conditions, and a day without me - day without my love for her.

I shook these thoughts out of my mind as I came to a stop, Demetri and Peter stopping right beside me.

"Peter, contact everyone. Tell them to make a large perimeter around the city with intersecting patrols, establishing a tight grid. Tell them to try to stay on the tree tops to camouflage their scents. I want to know when, how and why all supernatural creatures in this region move. I want control on the airports and roads. I want constant contact and reports from you. I am going to call Marcus. Demetri have you picked up something?"He was tilting his head from side to side, looking much like a dog playing with a supersonic whistle; it would be funny if I was not so worried.

"Sir, I don't know. I had a clear tone from Edward a few miles ago here in the north, but then it was gone. I have been feeling this once in a while, a few hours apart. It's almost like someone cleared the sky for some minutes, and then clouded it again. A faint impression remains too. It's too faint to pin point a precise location. All I know is that we did right coming here, they are definitely around here up north."

As much as it angered me, we had to play the patience game.

"Keep going, keep trying, he will be out of my mate's range sometime and then we will be on to him."

I picked my phone and called Marcus. He answered after a few seconds.

"Hello my son, any luck yet?"

"No, Master. Demetri got some glimpses. We know he is here but we can't get a location. We will have to wait. Has Alice come with something new?"

"No, I have been making her concentrate, but her vision hasn't changed. I don't believe that she'll try to betray me; it wouldn't be good for her. However, you know her as well as I do, that she isn't to be trusted at this moment – therefore, do not relay on her to help in finding your mate." he sighed, clearly unhappy with this.

"I know, I understand, thank you Master. How are things going in town?"

"Well it seems your plan worked. A phone call was received saying that a red truck matching Isabella Swan had lost control and dived into the ocean. A search party for Isabella's body is going on as we speak. An investigation is being held to assess what happened at the Swan's house. The whole mess is being considered a bizarre and sad event. The whole town is mourning the fates of Chief Swan and his beloved daughter. "He paused and I heard a faint whisper talk near the phone, but could not figure what he said.

"Charlotte has just informed me that a memorial will be held in City hall for the Swan's and I think that we will all attend except you and Edward. You'll be too traumatized by the situation – making it necessary for you to go and seek comfort from family outside of Forks. We'll let slip that Edward is currently under evaluation at a psychiatric hospital in Seattle, incapable of dealing with the loss of his girlfriend. You'd better send Emmett back here."Good, all is working as I had predicted and as I suspected my Master's help in Forks was invaluable.

Marcus continued with his update.

"The whole house is packed and ready to go except for the living room. After all we need to keep up with appearances. We will leave as soon as the funeral services are held. Her mother has been informed and is due to arrive today. She is quite distraught by everything and Esme will be supporting her. It is possible that the authorities will want to speak to you again, my son. I will arrange it with time for you to spare, don't worry."

"Thank you, Master. We are keeping a perimeter and watching for when the little weasel will be out of my mate's range. Then Demetri will find him. I will keep you informed Master."

"Very well, my son, Ah, and Alexis says that she has done all you've asked and managed to get inside Bella's room. She picked up some books, clothes and pictures from her youth and from her parents and family. She also took some things from Charlie, nothing too noticeable. All is being packed right now with your things. See you soon, my son."

After Marcus ended the call I said to the others that since the weather would be overcast today, I would need to go into town and buy some things for my girl. I needed some time alone. They just nodded while they worked their best to accomplish my orders. My running around would also serve to see if my grid was well established. But I needed to disguise my scent.

In the outskirts of town I found a car dealership. I bought a large Jeep with tainted windows. It would be useful for observing the town and for getting around so I could purchase what I needed for Isabella.

I, now, stood at the top of the highest building in Anchorage. Somewhere out there my mate is alone and afraid. I feel the need to howl, to hurt and destroy. I have an urge to go on a killing spree so that all this hate and anger leave my body and maybe then, whatever deity exists out there will pity me and give me some peace and grant me back my mate.

Isabella.

I was rubbing my chest when my phone rang.

"Yes, Peter?"

"Sir, since you are in town you better buy a first aid kit…" My roar was so wild that he stopped talking, all I could see was red, and it took me a while to stop shaking and to control my anger.

"Why?"

"I am sorry sir; I did not mean to say it like that. She is alive, that much I know. I have been thinking about this. I think she has been drugged, it is the only explanation for the briefest glimpses of Edward that Demetri is having. We know she did not go with Edward willingly, and we know that the boy did not kill her. How could he carry her here if she was conscious? You have staked your claim on her, and she had accepted it, she has been marked with your mating scent. She never loved Edward, she loves you. So to get Isabella to comply with his insanity without using violence against her, he must have drugged her. I have a feeling that whenever she comes out of the drug induced stupor she is in, she tries to make herself visible to us. Maybe she is somehow able to unconsciously control her shield?"

He had a point. My Isabella was a smart girl and a fighter, even if she was a human. She was being subdued somehow and he only could do that if she didn't put up a fight. That means that he had premeditated this violence against her. To drug an innocent woman…I am going to make the fucking, sleazy bastard pay for that.

She was fighting Edward and at the same time helping us the only way she could. She knew that we had a hard time using our gifts on her; we all had mentioned it to her several times.

This was it, she must be conscious when we get the brief glimpses of Edward. We could start to get a hold on the times between the glimpses of Edward to try to approach her location. I heard a slight noise and I remembered that I had Peter on the phone.

"You are right. We need to time the intervals when he is visible to Demetri, and from there try to get a fix on his position. Is Demetri with you?"

"Yes sir. It is already done. Demetri has been feeling Edward every six hours, give or take a few minutes."

"Very well Sergeant. Call Marcus; tell him what is going on and to make Carlisle prepare all we need to treat my mate for the affects of the drug. Ask him what kind of drug Edward may have gotten his hands on and then tell him to prepare all the antidotes and all that is needed to fix her. Contact me if there are any new developments."

I hang up. It was too much. Isabella drugged, at his mercy, he could do anything with her.

_Anything_, I growled at the thought.

She was defenseless, helpless, maybe in pain. I clutched my chest where my undead heart lay feeling the pain of her absence.

I noticed that my beast had stopped its constant ramblings. He too was helpless without the only thing apart from the pain, death and destruction that made him feel alive. We were both lost without our mate and now I understood the true power of mating.

It was true that it's hold had the power to bring a man like me to his knees, but I could not let the pain and the anger control me. Isabella needed me to survive this. I picked up my phone and called Emmet. He answered on the first ring.

"Yes, Jasper."

"Emmet. You are needed in Forks. They are holding a memorial for Isabella and for her father and all the family except for me and Edward must be present. Marcus needs you to help him. You know that Carlisle is under probation now, so I need you to help Marcus and represent us - the brothers."I spit the name. Emmet may be my brother and friend, but not that little fucker. However in the name of appearances we had to play the game.

"Fuck man. I don't want to go. I want to stay here and help you." I knew that, but now he was more useful in another place.

"I know, but I need you there now. Go and report to Marcus."

"Okay. See you soon. You will get her back, Jasper. Just save me a piece of Edward."

"I will, if there is anything left."

I ended the call. It was time to go and buy her some warm clothes. Maybe something to eat too. If she is being drugged so often, that means that she is not eating well and she is weak. And I needed to buy the first aid kit as well.

_**Three fucking days.**_

Three days of waiting.

Seventy two hours of anticipation, of pain, of hate.

Three days, four hours, twenty seven minutes and fifty seconds now without her. Three days knowing exactly when she was being drugged and possibly abused.

I was going insane. We had regrouped around Demetri and ran patrols every hour. No one wanted to be near me. Peter had payed the price for intruding on my anger, by losing an arm and getting a new scar.

Emmet and the family had attended the memorial organized in collaboration with City hall and the Cullens – Marcus, to be precise. It had been a beautiful but quiet and painful affair, the entire town, united in grief; the events were recorded on tape by Alec.

Rosalie, Esme, Carlisle and Emmett had presented their eulogies for Bella. Billy Black and Harry Clearwater had done the same for Charlie.

The causes of death had been declared in Bella's case an accident and the search for her body were halted after two days due to the heavy under water currents, and the investigation was suspended. Charlie's death was declared a homicide, possibly an intruder that he had surprised and fought with. An investigation was being held but so far nothing had been found and the police had no leads.

The town had declared a two days mourning period over the deaths of the respected chief and his young daughter. Flags were flown at half staff and the Cullens had made their part and played their role as grieving friends of the Swans.

Rumors had been made to circulate in town that Forks held too many painful memories for everyone in the Cullen family and with Edward being mentally unstable due to his girlfriend's death, and being transferred to a mental institution located in Italy for treatment, after an alleged suicide attempt, the best thing to do to help him was to sell the house and move there.

Everyone understood and, though Doctor Cullen and his family were to be sorely missed, life in the little rainy town of Forks was slowly going back to normal. The funerals were to be held today and then the vampires would be gone from Forks - Forever. I would not allow the Cullens any more of their human charade. It was over. It was enough. It had coasted too much in pain and suffering.

We had managed to close in on Edward. He had been careless lately, letting Bella out of the drug for periods up to half an hour, and he was visible enough to be tracked. We had established a fifty miles radio, and we were closing on him. If only it was not at the coast of the health of my mate. The next time Bella was awake we would jump on him.

_Just a few more hours._

**Isabella POV**

_Jasper, help me. Please my love, find me and help me._ I thought to myself as hard as I could as I tried to get up from my cot, Edward's arm around me as he helped me up. I could not help but to flinch at his touch. His scent, once so sweet was now a disgusting smell that made me cringe anytime it hit my nose. I hated Edward, for the first time in my life I hated someone to a near homicidal degree.

He has been drugging me, regularly and shamelessly, supposedly to help me cope with my ordeal. The truth though? He sticks the needle in my arm every time he loses his patience with me and tires of listening what I have to say to him. He simply doesn't listen. I tried to tell him to let me go. To let me go and see Charlie, that he must be so worried about me - that he doesn't deserve this.

I have screamed, pleaded, begged and demanded for him to set me free and let me go to Charlie. But he just does not listening. He launches himself on endless ramblings about protecting me from the demons that will take my soul and condemn me to hell - that even my father was under their control. He was convinced that it was his duty as my boyfriend and future husband to see to my safety and well being, to keep my soul safe, to preserve my innocence and purity.

All the love I had for him, as platonic as it was, has now changed into hate. I hate him. I hate what he is doing to me. I hate that he has probably injured Charlie badly and did not even care to help him. I hate how he blinds himself to reality.

In my anger and hate towards him I told him everything. Or I screamed at him, more precisely.

I screamed in his face at how I never made my feelings known to anyone because I did not want anyone to suffer and that I wanted to be near Jasper, even if he was married to Alice. I told him how I was not so naïve to not know that my presence within the Cullens depended solely on my relationship with Edward.

I told him that he was not in love with me, but with the idea of me, with the idea of having finally someone so that he didn't have to be alone, to finally have someone at his side. I told him how it annoyed me to be with him and his last century morals. How I hated to see him treat me like if I was a flower, when I was more than able to fend for myself, like I had done for years before he came into my life.

I told him of my joy and utter happiness when jasper returned those feelings and staked his claim on me as his mate; how my body had melted and molded into him, knowing he was his master, how my soul longed for him even in my sleep.

When Edward just dismissed my feelings as a mere manipulation of Jasper, and my words as the ramblings of a traumatized woman, I mocked him by telling him how Jasper had made me a woman on the night he spend with me, how he made me scream his name until my throat was raw - how my skin had the marks of his hands and how my body was flooded with his scent.

This, more than anything drove Edward wild and now my arms harbored a new set of marks where he grabbed them to shake me into seeing some sense. These new bruises, that I make a point to show him whenever I am awake, just to see his pained look, are not the result of an act of love and passion but are the result of an act filled with anger and hate.

He tried to make me bathe and I refused. I could smell Jasper on me. It was a source of comfort and a source of strength. I would not let him take this from me.

Then, he changed tactics, and when I woke up the next, I was soaked to the bone and my skin was raw as if it had been submitted to a hard scrub. He had bathed me, and this knowledge lead to another round of screaming and fighting the bastard which resulted in a badly hurt hand and wrist from when I had hit him in the face.

My violent outburst was followed by another period of darkness and oblivion. When I woke up the next time from my drug induced stupor, my hand had been fixed and braced, and I welcomed the throbbing pain. It helped me to clear my mind and to focus harder on being found. I knew deep in my heart that jasper was looking for me.

He had scrubbed me raw two more times while I was unconscious, but he could not get rid of the scent. Jasper scent was in me, _inside of me_, and even though I no longer could feel it, I could see in his face that he could feel it still. Every time he came close to me his nostrils flared and his face scrunched up in revulsion.

"Why Edward?" I tried to reason with him one last time before he drugged me again.

"I have to protect you, even if it is from yourself my love."

"Don't call me that Edward, please. I am no longer yours. You know I belong to Jasper. You can smell him in me. Edward, he could only mark me this way if he was my mate, you never did this because you are not my mate… please…listen to me, let me go. I promise you that nothing will happen to you."

"You don't know what you are talking about my love. He fed you lies. I am aware of everything regarding vampires and I never heard of anything like that. I even was there when Emmet mated with Rosalie and it didn't involve this disgusting scent."

"You were there during their mating?" I could not believe that, it was such an intimate experience, even though mine hadn't been completed.

"No, of course not! They mated away from us, in the middle of the forest like animals. I had never seen Emmet behave like that, he truly was an animal, and it was disgusting to hear him. He kept Rosalie away from us for about a month. Carlisle only said to leave them be. I wanted to go and save her every time I heard her screaming, but Carlisle restrained me saying Emmet would kill me if he saw me near them. He never explained why." He looked thoughtful as if he was remembering something - if I could only get to him to see reason.

"And when they came back? Did you notice anything different in Rosalie?"

"Only that her scent had changed slightly. From that point on, whenever I smelled her there were traces of Emmet on her essence. It was as if he had become a part of her forever. No one answered my questions why that had happened. Carlisle only said it was like this when we mate and I know that he was saying the truth. Esme has the same quality in her scent. I believe the scent changes when we commit ourselves to one another through marriage. It will happen to us too once we are united under god."He was smiling softly, and I could not believe that he was so ignorant.

"No, it will not, Edward. That was the "aqua di amori", the mating liquid that the male vampire secrets once in his lifetime to mark his mate with his scent. It is produced only when in the presence of your mate, when she is ready to mate and it gets into the female skin during intimacy, making her scent change and mingle with the males. It is very strong in the beginning to show other male vampires that the female is mated." He was looking at me as if I had grown an extra head.

"Does the scent you feel now in me appeals to you?"

"No, it's revolting. It makes me almost gag. I can't stand it, it's like that demon is here with us. I thought bathing you would make it disappear but it hasn't." He inhaled and scrunched up his nose.

"You have your answer, Edward. You can barely approach me, and Jasper only marked me superficially. It is the same thing as with Emmet and Rosalie, and with Carlisle and Esme. I am Jasper's, this is his mating scent." I spoke softly convening the truth to him with my eyes.

"No, you are wrong." And with that he advanced on me, needle in hand, and darkness was on me again.


	24. Chapter 24

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story. This story is pre read by **Savage Grace** a kind and sweet girl that likes to help.

**mama4dukes** has taken over as my beta in this story and I am so happy with that, that I have no words to express it. Thanks girl…you rock.

**I have a new story, it is called "The menace", and it's a Jasper x Bella,** go and check it out and then tell me what you think.

Chapter 24

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

I sat on a cliff edge in Chugach State Park, on the foothills of East Anchorage, stewing on my hatred towards the world. I hated the Cullens, every little one of them. Cowards, all of them are just fucking cowards.

Their hatred and despise for what they are is the cause for all of this. The cause for my distress. The cause for my Isabella's suffering. In my years of living with them I knew of this hatred and disgust, but I never thought that Carlisle have not even taught his young ones and mate the ways of the vampire world.

Alice and I only joined them in the early fifties and they were all well out of their newborn stages, the ideal time to teach them and train them in the vampire ways. I had always thought that even though they were very liberal and permissive with their females and with their views of the world, they had been taught the ways of our race. After all Carlisle had joined the Volturi and lived with them for a few decades in his early years.

He had witnessed the mating and claiming rituals in Volterra. He had fought the ritual fights of the males in the Hall of Men. He had listened, recorded, and even joined Marcus in many of his preachings about the old religion. He had been allowed to witness the secret ceremonies of the Hall of Women. He had even participated in some of the bonding rituals in the Great Temple, and had taken his share of unmated vampire women and men in those ceremonies.

Caius and Aro had granted him the honor of sharing with him theirs and their mate's beds and bodies, something that was very, very unusual. How could a man with such knowledge and experience so completely disregard all he had learned and all that he was? Vampire ways were never discussed in the Cullen house, although Edward always had his way of voicing his inexperience, distrust, and disgust of them having read Carlisle's memories.

Even though the Cullens did not live accordingly to vampire standards and the discussion of it was inexistent, we - all of us who lived in that house, could witness the times when the beast hidden inside of us roamed free and our instincts took hold the best of us; especially when we would claim our female or mate the vampire way, in front of the other males, or when we engaged in territorial fights for dominance with the others. When that happened, the days afterwards were marked by feelings of shame and disgust, instead of the fulfillment and happiness that they were meant to invoke.

Come to think of it, those fights for dominance were always cut short as Carlisle tried to diffuse them in any way he could. As with all other vampire traditions, this essential part of being a vampire was dismissed as the workings of an unbalanced soul struggling for control.

Well, it is not a surprise to me or to anyone else that I was the most unbalanced of the Cullen bunch; I was the one always challenging the males in the house. Alice was claimed as my female almost monthly in front of them as if I loved her. And I had no qualms in letting them know that I followed the old paths all in maintaining my disguise. The only one that showed some interest in learning was Emmet, but Carlisle soon cut that interest short. I did not object to his orders neither did Alice, when the same interest coming from Rosalie was also cut short by him.

After all, Alice and I had a role to play and a mission to accomplish!

At the time, it was not our role to pay attention to such deviant behavior. We had much more important goals to achieve. Even though I thought them how to fight, to track, and to defend themselves - it was only the minimum necessary, by Carlisle's request. He relied so much on Edward's and Alice's gifts that he thought it was unnecessary. I obliged to his request, but that only served to strengthen my determination in providing adequate and thorough information and education for the vampire kind once I reached power.

He did not want to let the fighting instincts inherent to our race to be considered normal behavior. He wanted his "children" to act and be as normal and as human as possible and not be corrupted by vampire morals and traditions. He never once thought that it was not possible to ignore our beast, he narrowed it down to having the will to control and forget about it. He was wrong, the beast is a part of us and instead of pretending that it doesn't exist we have to learn to live with it. His beliefs would never work out because we were not human teenagers: we are vampires.

Fuck, I should have dominated them as soon as I entered their house, instead of playing the poor lost soul, survivor of hell as I was ordered. I am a vampire, I am proud of being one. I am faster, stronger, and smarter than anyone else. I am the image of the perfect vampire and I am at peace with what I am. I do not morn my past, my lost humanity and family.

I keep my eyes on the future, on a future that I will help build. My name is the epitome of power. My presence inspires fear and devotion. I really should have followed my intuition and kill them all right there. If they didn't want to be vampires and behave like one, then they should give themselves to die.

Instead I chose a more subtle, long term approach. Slowly undermining and separate them, I managed to isolate them from everyone; they were a lone coven, isolated of vampire world. They really were the joke of the halls of Volterra. Their only allies were the Denali's, and they were already on my payroll and would turn on them in the blink of an eye.

I sabotaged their relations and affections. I had complete control of all the financial assets of the family. They did not want to be bothered with such trivialities and so it was so easy for me to take over. They only wanted to know if their cards had money on them. Unknowingly they transferred the bulk of their fortune to me. The only thing that was still in their names was the house in Forks.

The same house and property where the Cullens would never again be allowed to return, even after they served their punishment. Those were the terms of the new treaty that had been signed between the Volturi and the Quilleuts.

I made Alice gain their complete trust and in a matter of years they were following, without question, her visions and indirectly my orders. They had become so dependent on the two of us that now they were unable to think for themselves.

I am positive that the familial bonds they created were crumbling down by now and only the bonded mates in that coven would stand together after this. I was glad that it worked with Emmet and Rose. I would hand over Carlisle and Esme to the Volturi, but I will keep Edward.

"_He is ours, and we will make him pay, "_snarled the beast.

Alice was already out of the picture, and her Cullen ways soon would be just a faint memory. Marcus would take care of that.

A sudden movement to my right grabbed my attention. The scent identified it as an animal, more precisely a small fox. She is walking slowly, probably hunting in the high grass about 2 meters away. I am against the wind so she couldn't feel my scent. The fox, an arctic one, in her summer brown coat comes closer to my spot and the low growl that emanates from my chest made her run for her life with haste.

I noticed my whereabouts.

Night had fallen while I stood here alone deep in my thoughts. It has been six hours since we last closed in on Edward and soon my Isabella would be awake and concentrating or he would get out of her reach.

_My Isabella, my mate_.

The others of our hunting party are here somewhere. I can feel their emotional patterns as they do not dare come close to me. I am too volatile, too dangerous now in my anger and hate - and not even the delicious homeless man that was my meal earlier in the morning had managed to calm me down. It had been four days, ten hours, sixteen minutes and twenty seconds now without her, and the pain in my chest was becoming worse by the minute.

Suddenly, there was a shift in the emotional pool of my comrades, and I am on my feet in a fraction of a second running full speed towards Demetri. Bastien, Peter and Sam, the Quileute alpha, were already there.

"I have him, thirty miles away northeast, heading to town. We have to go. Now!" Demetri growled and took off like a bat out of hell. He too was pissed off at being stuck in here for so long when he could be partying with Felix in Montana.

"Keep you heads empty…don't let him read your thoughts, and don't cross the trail of his scent." I yelled to the running men and wolf.

_Our mate, soon in our arms_! My beast had been almost silent these few days letting me work everything out. It was as if he understood that the emotional onslaught of his mumblings would make me lose my focus.

We caught his trail about twenty minutes later. We approached it and it was fresh, an hour late maybe. It was too late to intercept him on his way to town, but we could trace his path back no matter how hidden it was.

_We will destroy him…now that we've got him._ The beast growled at me - excited by the thrill of the hunt.

"Stop…" I yelled out of the top of my lungs.

Immediately they stopped and turned to me.

"Don't cross his path. Demetri, is he still moving towards Anchorage?" He tilted his head and closed his eyes for a microsecond, licking his lips before answering, a small smile playing in his voice. He was amused at this hunt, his earlier grumpiness gone now that he had a moving target.

"Yes, sir, I have his clear tone going in that direction." I nodded.

"That means that if he gets even a whiff of us he will just took off and maybe do something stupid with my mate. We need to trace back his scent. He must know that we are probably looking for him and Isabella. We need to make sure he does not take this path again." I looked at Sam, who stood a little ways from us, his nose wrinkled in revulsion. He also smelled revolting to us. _That's it, use the pup_, I thought to myself.

"Sam, can you follow his track to his destination in town?" he just looked at me surprised that I had even addressed him.

"Yes, cold one, I can, but he is familiar with our scents, he is going to smell me and know I am on his trail."

"I know, I am counting on it. You must track him, but do it sloppily, do it as if you were able to catch his scent but you are not a good tracker, stay on the path long enough for him to know he was spotted and to make him take an alternative route - we will be waiting for him near my mate."

"Yes, it could work. Will you be following the path backwards?"

"Yes, his scent is strong and the weather must stay dry for the next half an hour or so. This is our window to find my mate. Contact once you are done." He just nodded and phased into his huge black wolf.

"Demetri, follow Edward. Follow him, but don't reveal yourself. His ability has a range of about a mile. Stay clear of that. Track him to town and then back. Contact only when you are at safe distance from him. Keep your mind blank and do not engage him. You might be our only hope in finding my mate if we don't get anywhere on our side."

Demetri's smile widened and I could feel his sense of honor and his pride in his skills. I knew he was good and he knew I was grateful to him for his help.

"Yes sir. He will not escape me this time." He saluted me and took off.

I turned to Bastien and Peter.

"Let's go find that bastard's layer. Bastien you are the best tracker of us three. Lead me to my mate." I growled.

Bastien took the lead and within minutes we were deep inside the forest. Edward's scent was making a straight path into a particularly mountainous region. The area was very secluded, the terrain rough and wild. Contrary to our beliefs he did not try to camouflage his path.

Could it be that the boy is so naïve as to think he can outsmart the Volturi and Whitlock guard and its tracker's?

It would appear so, to my luck.

I mean, I knew he was over confident in his skills as a fighter and in his ability to read minds. Such a cocky little boy! His skills in fighting could be outdone by any one of my female guards at any moment. I had taught him to a few fighting moves like I did with the other Cullens and with that little knowledge and some defensive maneuvers I had shown him, he believed himself to be a powerful and skilled warrior, capable of taking on anyone and that he should be feared. The fact that he managed to keep hold of James long enough for us to destroy him only served to solidify his conviction.

The fact that in every single spar and "brotherly" fight we had in fifty years he always lost either to me or to Emmet, did nothing to make him see further. He was so arrogant that he thought that he would be able to fight and win in a fight against even the Volturi guard.

_Silly, Silly boy._

_We will defy him for a fight, and then he will see who is a warrior; we will make him weep tears of blood. _My beast growled in delight.

For the first time in days I permitted myself a brief flicker of hope. My mate was almost in my reach. Suddenly a heavy rain fell. Fuck me, that won't be good for our tracking.

"Bastien, speed up, with this rain the trail will be erased in a matter of minutes." Just as he nodded and took off, my phone rang.

"Sir, I have him. He went to town to buy groceries and clothes, women's clothes…"he stopped talking as my roar shook the forest. It took me some seconds to calm down, before grunting for him to continue.

"He is on his way back; I am out of reach of his ability. The dog has made his job, he managed to mix his scent with the boys trail and he has noticed it, he is taking an alternative path. I am following him, and I believe he is going in your direction."

"You believe?"

"Sir, you must be close to your mate. I have only brief glimpses of your tone and the same for Peter and Bastien." My heart soared, we were on the right path and we were getting closer to my mate.

"Okay, keep following him. Get a fix on our location but keep following him." I hung up.

I reached the others; we were close, close to her. I could almost feel her in my soul or whatever part of me was in its place. Suddenly, we stopped. The trail ended in a rough rocky wall with no way out. I could not smell anything. The heavy rain had already washed his scent.

I felt despair creep on me.

_No, hold on, don't you dare to give up. _My beast roared, shaking the bars of his cage. It did me good; it managed to keep the despair at bay.

The dim light of the summer arctic nights, cast a magic glow around us. Not that we needed the light to see clearly as if it was still light out. I looked around. We were in a narrow pass, surrounded by boulders and huge rocks and trees. I saw Peter jump over some of them. In seconds he was back, standing on top of a particularly big rock agglomeration some meters away from us.

"Sir, you should see this." I jumped to where he was and my mouth dropped open.

From this spot we could see holes, holes in the rock. Dozens of them, ranging from a rabbits hole to bigger ones capable of allowing a man standing. Caves!

Caves that were hidden by a natural rock formation that shielded them as if it was a wall. I took a deep breath to smell the air.

"Do you smell this?" I asked them

"Smoke. Cottonwood. Is there a fire nearby?" Bastien took off to look around a high stone crest. In seconds he was down.

"Sir, there is no fire around and I saw no signs of burnt wood."

That could only mean…my mate. Hidden in one of this caves!

"Look around, leave no leaf unturned, try to close in on the scent." We moved in different directions, the wind was strong and allied to the heavy rain, made difficult to pin point the origin of the fire, I was just entering a small clearing that had a set of huge boulders on its end just to be stopped by my phone ringing.

_Fuck!_

"Sir, you just became invisible to me…is everything alright?" She was near, that was what it meant.

"Where is the boy?"

"Hunting, sir…I am keeping my distance."

"Good, stay with me…do you sense the others?"

"Yes, just small glimpses but yes, you sir, however, just disappeared when you went wherever you are."

"Bastien, Peter come here." I yelled. I passed Peter the phone as I circled the small clearing. Then I saw a faint glitter, it was small but it was there coming from the lateral wall of the boulder. In a second I was in front of a huge rock that seemed to be covering something. I could smell the smoke and it came from a small opening on the top of the rock, where it did not joined completely with the rest of the stone. I could faintly smell human urine behind a small bush a few meters away from the entrance. I leaned my head on the bolder and there it was…a heartbeat. Isabella!

It was fairly simple to use my strength and move the rock that covered the entrance. A cave! A cave filled with a heavenly scent - my mate's scent! A simple whiff and I was inside the small space looking down at my reason to live, the now familiar mating pull making itself known. Immediately my body started to produce the Aqua di amori. Oh, my mate. My Isabella! A purr left my chest as I leaned in to feel her.

I felt my comrade's presence behind me, making me issue a low growl in warning to their proximity to my mate. I saw Peter making a quick visual assessment of her condition, knowing better than to try to touch her.

"Be careful, sir. She is in a bad shape. We need to take her to a doctor. My medical knowledge is not enough for this."

She was a sleep, an intravenous needle stuck in her left arm feeding her some kind of drug that was tainting her scent; I did not like it one bit. Carefully, I moved her sleeves up and slowly took the needle from her arm; I wanted her free of that damned thing and awake. A little blood poured out but I ripped a strip of cloth from my t shirt and pressed it against her wound. Incredibly no bloodlust overcome me.

"Take a look around, we need to disinfect this wound and bandaged it, maybe he has something in here." I did not take my eyes from her, but I knew Peter would be looking around.

I sensed Bastien outside standing guard. Good, I had given my phone to Peter and he had given it to Bastien. He was in a quiet talk with Demetri. I needed to know of the boy's movements. I wanted to greet him and welcome him home.

_Yes, we will greet him_…my demon snarled, filling me with hate and contempt for the boy. He would not die today. No…I had a fate in store for him worse than death. One destiny that will make him scream and beg for the oblivion of death for the rest of eternity. I turned my attention to my Isabella again.

Her arms covered in needle marks, and looked thinner than the last time I had seen her. I would bet that either he had not fed her – witch I did not believe or she was too stubborn to eat, which was more likely. Her skin was ghostly pale and her hair held no shine. I leaned over her and took in her scent, the purr yet again present. My scent was still in her. Weak and about to disappear, but still there. There was also his scent - all over her!

With a growl my beast took charge. Ignoring Peter's warnings I ripped her robe off of her, seeing her naked form to assess her condition. She was bruised all over and I leaned in to smell each one of the bruises. My scent was on them as was his but they had the size and the form of my hands and fingers. They were the markings that I had made on my woman on the night I had pleasured her. I could see that they were old and fading. They were all mine, except for some very nasty ones on her wrists that were black and purple, obviously recently received. Those did not have the shape of my hands - they were from the bastard. I felt a cold feeling grip my heart. Why had he hurt her wrists like that, unless he had been restraining her?

I spread her legs gently and putting my index finger in my mouth, I opened her folds and carefully pushed in my wet finger. I knew from my first exploration of her body that her barrier was deep inside. I took a close look at her folds, but could not see any bruising that would certainly be there had she been forced. She still felt tight and wonderful and only my rage stopped me from becoming hard and taking her as mine right here with her drugged.

I knew now that I was going to claim her in the binding ceremony that would take place as soon as her body was healed enough to stand the mating. My beast and I needed that the whole vampire world witnessed that she was mine. It was instinctive. She had been taken away from us and we needed to ascertain our claim on her in front of the whole world.

I let out a breath I did not know I was holding. I had reached her barrier and it was intact. She was still pure. She was still mine. Her body had been abused but she had not been defiled. I let my finger linger inside of her a moment longer than needed, marveling in her wetness, in her tightness, and in her warmth. All Mine. I took my finger and smelled it. My scent was in there. Not anyone else's! Not the boy's.

I licked my finger to get reacquainted with her taste and covered her with the only blanket available; it had been taken from her house. It smelled like her father and her. She was naked underneath it all. She had been naked all along and she smelled clean. The bastard better not had touched her inappropriately.

A sudden gasp took me from my thoughts. I turned to Peter who was trembling in anger. Fear was also swirling around mixed with hatred and concern. What the fuck?

My eyes zeroed in on the device he was holding on his hand. A cell phone! I knew it to be Edward's.

"Give it to me." I felt his hesitation as he backed down a step.

"Sir, it is better if you see this later. Now is not a good time. We need to take her to a doctor now."The same emotions as before only stepped up a notch. This was not good.

"Give. It. To. Me. Now." My growled demand held no place for refusal. He gave it to me at once, his eyes and head lowered to the ground, his stance screaming submission.

Pictures, lots of them!

The roar that left my mouth was deafening and shook the small cave, making small rocks fall from the ceiling and walls. Detailed close up images of my Isabella, naked - exposed like a rag doll, hanging limp and obviously unconscious, her arms held in his grasp above her head.

Image after image of my woman being exposed like as if she were a piece of meat. There was a pattern though; he did not concentrate on her womanly assets. He took picture after picture of bruises and hand prints. The ones that my night of passion with my mate had left on her frail body.

_You will pay for this, boy._

Bastien took me out of my red haze of anger.

"Sir, Demetri called. The boy is near. Maybe 5 minutes away from here!" Excitement was rolling off him.

"Bastien, you are going to take my mate into safety. There is a large cave to our right behind those trees 300 hundred meters from here, my scent should be inside from earlier, and that it is dry enough for her. Take her there and don't let her out of your sight no matter what you hear or what happens. Keep your thoughts blank until we reach you." He nodded and I gently picked up my sleeping mate, wrapping her up in the sleeping bag, and in the comforter that smelled of her father. It was not ideal but would keep her warm for a while.

I kissed her forehead and it took all I had to hand her over to Bastien. I knew I could trust in him. His feelings for my Isabella were ones of concern, worry and protectiveness. I kissed her cold, dry lips, taking solace on her faint but steady breathing and in her strong heartbeat. With a last deep whiff of her scent I nodded for Bastien to take her away.

"I will protect her with my own life, mon capitain." And with that he took off into the cold, rainy night.

"What do you want to do, sir?" Peter asked me softly, phone on his ear.

"He is coming here. We are going to wait for him, and **I** am going to give him the welcome he deserves. Tell Demetri to block his way out, keep your mind blank." He nodded and we took off from the cave. I put the bolder that blocked the entrance back as it was when we arrived here. The rain was still heavy and I knew I didn't need to worry about him catching our scents.

Without words we took our positions - me on the right side of the cave and Peter on the left side, hidden from sight.

In a matter of minutes we could hear the soft sounds of vampire running. Edward came into the clearing, his arms loaded with grocery bags. He stood a few meters from the entrance, suspicion and concern flowing from him; no doubt he was worried because he could no longer hear Isabella's heartbeat. He dropped the bags and rushed to the entrance, pulling the bolder onto the side and stepping inside.

I could not stop the smile that was spreading across my face as I rounded up the side of the cave and stepped inside, leaning against the entrance, Peter flanking my side.

"Hello boy, I have been looking for you." I snickered at his shocked face.

**A/N Let me know your thoughts.**

**I also would like to recommend for you, Volturi fans, a fic that is amazing. It is a Marcus/Bella story written by erythra-selena, called Panta Rhei. It deals with a deeply scared and hurt Bella who has to learn to trust and in time to love. Go and read it and leave the author some love.**


	25. Chapter 25

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story. This story is pre read by **Savage Grace**.

**mama4dukes** has taken over as my beta in this story and her work is amazing, I love especially her vigilance over my many mistakes in the last chapter ;D

**Attention: This chapter contains very graphic violence and torture. If you are underage or sensitive, please do not read.**

Chapter 25

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

He froze. He just froze, for a second, like a boy who had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar - shock and incredulity radiating from him. A small part of my vampire mind registered the arrival of Demetri and Sam. Both stood guard in a corner of the small clearing, their stance ready to help in a fight; and their emotions under control but bathing my senses - curiosity, anger, hate, worry, and vengeance. I checked in on Peter's position and he, too had stepped away. Smart man.

They knew better than to interfere now. This was a supremacy fight. A fight for dominance between two male vampires - usually it would be to the death. But, I was a coven leader, a governor - a vampire of high rank representing our law and order. I could not kill him now, even if I was the offended party. One of my and the Volturi's main fights was to bring some civility and trust in the new vampire institutions. That meant no justice by my own hand, I had to set an example, and his trial would be a wonderful publicity. I, also, wanted to let Isabella have her time with him for her dead father, as well as for her abused and drugged body.

But that did not mean that I could not make him hurt for what he had done.

Even the wolf knew what was going on; the curiosity was flowing from him, along with the hate I could feel. Fights like this happened between them in the pack, especially if an imprint was involved and one of the young pups was not in control or coveted what was not his. We, the Volturi had ample information about the subject. There were a lot of shapeshifters tribes in the world, a variety of different animals, but with the same type of instinct.

All my senses were focused on the boy, knowing that my comrades would stand down from this fight. He was mine. After all this time and suffering, he was mine and he was going to pay.

The creature that had taken my mate away from me.

The enemy that had hurt badly that which was mine.

The vampire that had touched the untouchable, another male's mate.

The supernatural creature that had, in an act of anger, killed the law enforcer of a small town, an absolute taboo because of the risk of exposure to our kind.

A series of crimes all rewarded with severe penalties by any vampire or even supernatural creatures law. As I looked at him I could not remember us having ever been friends much less brothers, we just coexisted together in the same place. He was an uptight, spoiled, know-it-all, judgmental boy that thought that he was better than anyone because of his ability to read thoughts and because of his high class upbringing as a human.

He had resisted for a long time our integration in the family. He did not trust me, but Alice managed to get onto his good side. His distrust only increased when he discovered that we had found a way of blocking our thoughts from his constant snooping. It had been funny to see his whining to Carlisle arguing that he could not protect his family if he was not aware of what was going in my head.

Carlisle had tried to talk me into opening my mind to his first born, but a glare and a growl had quickly made him see that it was not a good thing to cross me. He talked Edward into letting me be. Carlisle knew that I, being a follower of the vampire way of life would soon feel threatened by Edward's continuous hostility and would defy him to a fight for supremacy which would result in death or severe injury for his son, and my ascension to alpha male of the coven.

Edward's ignorance of life, in general and of vampire traditions and comportments, in particular was borderline hilarious and his righteous sentences and behaviors were the cause of many good laughs, between me, Emmett, and Rose in our hunts together. But now, that was all in the past. Now, he was my target, my prey, the enemy to take down and erase from existence.

"Monster, Demon…where is my Bella? What did you do to her?" He spat at me, turning quickly and crouching - ready to jump. He was now full of smugness and determination. He thought he could win this fight.

I crouched down, licked my fingers, coating them well with my venom, blocked my thoughts and let the monster within take control.

"Mine!" I roared to him before the red haze of anger took hold of me and I pushed my body forward to smash it into his.

His back hit the walls of the cave with so much force that the thunder of our clash doubled the ones that were setting the night sky alight. The strength of my attack was such that we both passed through the thick rock wall. The arctic night air was filled with the sounds of our growls and snarls as we fought like we had never fought before, his efforts to hit me or to take a bite at me useless against my agility and ability. He had never seen anyone fight like this, never. He was too confident in his ability, to know what to do when he could not read my mind.

He tried to take a bite at my neck, intent on severing my head, as we rolled in the dirt, but in a quick move I threw him through the air into the side of the boulder making what was left of my beloved's prison to collapse entirely on top of him. The sight warmed my heart. I again coated my fingers with venom and I walked up to where he stood, just in time to see him crawl from under a huge rock that had collapsed on him. He looked shaken and I could feel, for the first time, that a doubt was beginning to corrode him.

As he noticed me, he crouched and jumped in the air, his hands forming a claw intent on cutting my neck as he passed over me. In a fraction of a second, I moved to the side, turning my body upwards, lowering my upper half backwards, and raising my right hand in a swift and quick movement. I clawed deeply at his face as he passed over me.

His howl of pain at the burn left by my venom echoed in the silent forest, and for the first time in days, a real smile graced my lips. I was not done yet, though, quickly turning my left hand in a swiping movement up I clawed at his back, effectively ripping out chunks of flesh from his torso, before he fell on the floor screaming in agony.

This was a trick I had learned from Caius. He is a master in almost all kinds of martial arts, and an experimented warrior that had showed again and again his worth on the battlefield. He still is a soldier at heart, just like me; he too has hundreds of scars to prove his skills littering his body. He had extensively studied the proprieties of our venom and shared his knowledge with me when we were lovers.

It is a not a well known fact because the Volturi like to keep it a secret, that the male vampire can change his saliva into very corrosive venom when he is under the adrenaline of a territorial challenge or a dominance fight. This venom acts like an acid and turns into another weapon meant to inflict pain to our adversary. It really is one of the only substances that can really hurt and scar a vampire. Curiously, this kind of venom is harmless to humans, working in them as if it were mere saliva. It is often used for punishments by male mates and to punish coven members. I used it often on Alice.

By coating my fingers in my venom, already changed for the fight, I had a complementary weapon. Wherever my fingers came in contact with his spilled venom or open wound, my venom would burn. I was older than him, so my venom was more powerful when it came in contact with his skin, and immediately scarred whatever wound was made on his skin.

I let myself think on this knowledge, I wanted him to know. I felt his horror and understanding. Pain reached me, coming from him as I watched him trembling on the forest floor, his hand cradling his injured and now scarred face. I stood still, enjoying the sight of my almost defeated opponent, and tasting his emotions; the smugness he felt earlier was gone replaced by pain, incredulity, hate, anger, worry, and fear.

"So, boy, I guess I know a thing or two about fighting, no?" I taunted him.

Oh…he was feeling so much fear, it was intoxicating the way it washed over me, how it embraced me, how it caressed me. I calmly watched as he managed to get up, panting and gasping for breath; the marks of my venom coated fingers permanently and deeply etched on the skin of his face and back. Edward, the beautiful golden boy of the Cullen clan, was no longer that beautiful. Four long and deep gashes ran from his forehead to his shin, scarring his face in a constant reminder of my superiority: as a man, as a vampire, and as a warrior.

I smirked at him as he looked around in panic looking for a way out, all fight gone from him, only to find out that he was surrounded on all sides, and that he could not escape.

"There is no way out boy. These men will not interfere, though, unless I am about to kill you, so don't you worry about them. You are all mine." I growled at him, enjoying the fear and the pain run through his body. He, again, took focus on me and advanced forward with all of his already deployed strength. As soon as he was in my arms reach I grabbed him by the neck, lifting him, and keeping him away from any part of my body that he could reach. He clawed at my arm and hand only to make me laugh.

"Did you really think that you could win against me? An experienced warrior? A man of war who survived hundreds of battles and countless enemies?"

"You are a monster, I can and I will kill you." He struggled against my hold on him, only to gasp in pain as my fingers dug into the skin of his neck, making his venom ooze out, and the rest of my venom that still coated my fingers got in contact with his and burned him, leaving him with more scars.

"You may try, I give you that. But not even if you lived for a thousand years and learned to fight like a man - not like a boy, could you do any damage to me." I laughed and the others laughed with me. It had been quick.

"You took that which I hold most precious in the world, my mate. You killed her father." At this I felt his surprise and horror and then denial. "Oh, yes, you did kill him, he died in my arms. For almost a week you took her from me and you made her go through hell. Only for that you deserve to die. I will not, however, kill you now. You will stand trial by the Volturi to assess your level of knowledge in this matter." Relief flooded him.

"But I must have something to satisfy my need for revenge. I will take from you something to ease hers and my pain." I grabbed his left arm and pulled it out of his socket in a swift and forceful push. I ignored his scream of pain and the gush of venom that stained the earth. All his fight was now gone, all he felt was pain, despair, and fear.

"You have hurt her physically. You have touched her." I did the same to his right arm, and I reveled in his screams.

"No, I only bathed her when she was asleep, to take your foul scent from her." His panted reply only fueled my anger further. I tossed his twitching body to the ground, only to straddle his struggling form.

"Do you smell me, boy? I am in mating. My body is getting ready to mark my woman, my female. Only a male in mating can change his scent and increase it to mark the female as his and only his female will make him do it. It was my scent you felt. It was my marking that you tried to wash away." I pushed my arm into his nose and he gagged at my strong scent.

I gathered as much venom as I could in my mouth and approaching my head to the socket of his arm; I spit my venom, watching how it burned his flesh. This arm, even when it fused, would never again work properly. I was almost giddy at his screams of pain. Boy, he had a nice pair of lungs.

"You took degrading and offensive pictures of my mate." I ripped the already shredded shirt from his body. I turned to Demetri.

"Hold him still!" Demetri took hold of his upper body, a sticky mess leaking venom from the stumps where his arms had been, keeping him still.

I again coated my fingers in as much of my venom that I could, and taking my time I carved on his chest, using my fingernail:

**Isabella belongs to Jasper**

"…show…why…took her…you demon…violated…" He panted between screams of pain. I just smiled admiring my handy work and the way the rivulets of venom were dripping from the open wounds, before my venom healed them, making the carvings my eternal reminder to him that Isabella was mine.

"I did not violate her. I loved her as a woman must be loved by her mate. I marked my human mate with my mating scent and I took from her what was mine to take. Let me tell you that she gave it willingly because she loves me; she is in love with me. She is mine. My mate. My woman." Anger sparked again in me at his audacity in how he treated my Isabella.

"You saw her naked." I took hold of his head and clawing two fingers I took his right eye from his orbit, throwing it to Demetri. Edward's screams of pain, now mingled with his howls begging for mercy were music to my ears, I only wished my Isabella were here to hear her kidnapper beg for mercy.

My Isabella, my mate.

A soft tug in my chest brought me back from my red haze and reminded me of my poor mate. I needed to get her to safety. I needed to take care of her. Immediately, my need to be with her overwhelmed everything.

"Burn that." I told Demetri, who immediately with a grin on his face executed my request. I watched as the tiny purple flame incinerated Edward's eye.

I turned to look at my defeated enemy. He was weak, I could feel it. The loss of venom had that effect on us. To heal properly he would need human blood. Animal blood would never be able to do the job. If Carlisle was here he would give him donor's blood, but he was not, and the boy would feed the traditional way. I tossed him to Peter.

"Take him to feed. You know what and how. His arms will stay with Demetri. Afterwards, head back with him to Denali. Remember that he is under arrest." Peter smirked at me knowing very well what he had to do, before taking off carrying in his arms the whimpering and wounded form of Edward. He would take Edward to a low life scum, open its throat and put it to the boy's mouth. No matter how good his control was, the boy could not resist, his vampire mind would not allow him. It was one of the deepest instincts of survival. It knew that only human blood healed vampire inflicted wounds.

"Demetri, go get my car and then bring it to Denali, take the boys arms and keep them locked. I am taking my mate to Tanya's house. Eleazar and Carmen are there and they have ample medical training. Call them and tell them to prepare the house for an injured human. Tell them to have human food prepared and warm, she likes Italian and - yes…soup, she likes vegetarian food. Tell Carmen to make soup, it is warm, nutritious and rich in vitamins…tell Eleazar to have his medical supplies ready. I believe we will depart as soon as the storm clears."

He just nodded and I felt his spike of excitement increase his grin, before he took off running at top speed. Going to see those girls was always fun. You would enter their house and a mouth would be attached to your cock almost immediately. Damn those women were hot and horny. He was going to get lucky.

I turned to Sam, who was waiting expectantly to see what was going on. I extended my hand to shake his.

"Sam, I am going to take care of my mate. Thank you for your help, but now we have everything wrapped up. I know you miss your own people and you can go."

"Thank you. I was glad I was of some help. I would like to make a request of you, though." I arched my brow and nodded for him to continue.

"If it is in my reach."

"I would like to be present for when the trial of the Cullen boy takes place. He killed a dear friend of my people and his loss is mourned by all of us. We would like to bear witness and see him brought to justice." His request was not unfounded. Under the correct precautions it could be done.

"I agree. I will bring my mate back to health and then, when she is stronger we will hold the trial. I will summon you and you can bring some of your people. You and your pack will always be welcome to the Whitlock and to the Volturi House's if you come in peace."

"Thank you. Please, give my sympathy to Bella and express our sorrow for the loss of her father. He was a good man."

"Yes, he was. I am honored that I was there to help him in his last moments. He truly was a brave man who faced death with honor."

I meant every word. Charlie had conquered my respect with his calm dignity and his strength. He faced his death right in the eye and did not blink once. I could feel his courage and absence of fear until the end. I would tell my mate that she was a lucky woman to have had such a brave father and to be proud of him. She was the only thing on his mind and his love for her had warmed my soul. I would fulfill my promise to him - I would care for and love his daughter until the end of my life.

We shook hands before I saw him phase back to the huge black wolf that incarnated the alpha male of the pack. He sure was impressive; huge as a horse and with sharp long fangs that could instill fear even to a vampire. He really was a sight to behold. The huge head turned to me with eyes alive with intelligence, bowed once, and with a howl took off into the woods.

I was alone. I looked around me and saw the remains of the cave. I raked through the debris to see if there was anything that could be salvaged to help my mate. Nothing. All had been destroyed. I put out the remains of the fire and went to check the bags that the boy had dropped in his haste to get to Isabella.

They had not survived our fight. All the food was smashed and unrecognizable. I discarded the clothes. My woman does not wear clothes purchased for her by another male - an enemy at that. I will provide her with warm clothes. It is my duty and my pleasure to take her of her.

I could only salvage a bottle of water and a bottle of isotonic drink that had lots of vitamins and minerals. That would have to do until she was safe at the Denali's.

I headed back to where my mate was hidden.

The small rock shelter was barely a cave but it was well protected and hidden, and mostly important dry. As soon as I got closer I could see that Bastien had managed to make a fire, probably to warm my mate. I approached slowly, and I could feel his emotions. Worry, concern, high protectiveness, unconditional familial love, and affection. He had already bonded with my mate. I did not pay enough attention to my path because a branch broke under my foot, and I was instantly met with the sight of a snarling and crouched Bastien, his eyes black and his emotions locked on protection mode. He was ready to kill.

"C'est moi, Bastien. Ton major." I said to him in my military voice, speaking in his native French to reach his rational mind, and giving him a few seconds to leave his protective mode.

I saw his eyes clear to his usual red as he controlled his instincts and got out of his crouch, smirking sheepishly.

"Desolé, mon capitain. I thought the boy somehow escaped." I overlooked his breech of protocol regarding my post. He does it every time. For him military ranks are not important. I am his captain because for this French revolutionary his capitain is the only military rank that he respects and I am the man that embodies it.

I am the only person that he respects enough and is loyal enough to fight for and to die for. His eyes darted at the entrance of the rock shelter in worry. I waved his excuse away. He was doing his duty.

"How is she?" I asked while walking towards the fern protected entrance.

"She was cold and I needed to warm her. So I risked building a fire. I verified the wind so I knew that the smoke would go in the opposite direction of where you were and used only dry wood and leaves to control the smoke." I nodded as I saw my mate. She was lying down against the rock wall on the far end; I could see it was the driest place. Bastien had laid her down on top of his Volturi cloak, resting her on top of a makeshift bed made with some ferns and leaves. The fire was bright and alive near her, keeping her warm.

The place was dry and even I could feel the warmth. I went to her, never taking my eyes from her face, and I took off my clothes. I stayed naked, unaffected by the low temperature. I laid my damp clothes near the fire to dry because I would dress my mate in them later to make her warmer, for our trip to Denali. I went to where my woman laid, and picked her up in my arms, and held her snuggled tight against my chest.

"**Mine**." I growled softly.

_And mine_…my beast reminded me.

_Forever Ours_. We agreed.

I sat down to keep her close to the warmth of the fire and buried my head in her hair, taking a deep breath of her scent. My woman, my Isabella, was in my arms after so long and the deep purr that started in my chest was made of such happiness and completion that it managed to break through the drugged haze of my mate and made her sigh and snuggle closer to me in the tiniest of movements. But it was enough for me.

My body was producing the aqua di amori now that my mate was near me. I felt the need to reassert my marking that had almost vanished. I knew I could not pleasure her. But I could mark her skin again.

I looked at Bastien who was standing guard at the entrance of the shelter. The rain was still heavy and dawn was approaching. I could feel a slight thirst in Bastien.

"Bastien, go hunt. It has been three days since you last hunted and I can already feel your thirst. Go, and take your time, this storm will be here at least until mid day. Then we will move to Denali." He took a look at Isabella, protectiveness and love flowing from him.

"Merci, mon capitain. Will you need something pour le petit ange?" He asked before putting two big logs on the fire.

"No, my angel will be fine." I smiled at his nickname for her, looking down at the sleeping beauty in my arms.

"A bientôt, mon capitain." Bastien said before moving outside. I heard him running away.

I was alone with my angel and I needed to feel her against me.

Carefully I took the blanket and the sleeping bag that surrounded her, marveling in how small and beautiful she was. I took her sleeping robe leaving her as naked as I was and turning her warm body in my arms I laid down intertwined with her. It was pure heaven.

I held her as close to me as I could. I was feeling every inch of her body, and that was making me hard in the process. But I did not want her body now. No, now I just wanted her back with me, alive and awake, smiling and blushing, and talking and tripping, and just being her, just being my Isabella, my mate, my woman, the light of my life or of my death, I did not care. I just want her back.

I kept running my hands through her back, through her arms, chest and all over her body, my aqua di amori permeating her skin and slowly impregnating her again with my scent. I was unable to keep my purr at bay as we lay there in almost utter bliss. I would do anything for her to be awake right now, for her to be able to see and to feel the depth of my love for her.

I could see that her breathing was strong and steady and her pale face had gained some color. I guess that having removed that fucked up drug from her had done wonders. She was much better than a few hours ago when I had found her. She was not conscious yet, but now I knew that I would not have to wait six hours before I could look into her open eyes.

I had once heard Marcus say that the aqua di amori was almost a miracle elixir. He used to ask for some donations and samples from the matting vampires and use it to soothe wounds made by raging newborns_._ The Volturi often made their almost newly mated pairs to accompany those warriors that went to the front line, because not only they would fight for their mate's safety, but because the aqua di amori they produced while together would be used to heal each other and the other's wounds.

_I wonder_…I thought to myself. My mouth was full of it, and I was swallowing continuously to not drool all over myself. I looked at my beautiful, but unresponsive mate and turned her head towards me. I lowered my mouth to her. I barely touched her lips as they parted ways under mine. My aqua di amori was flooding my mouth and as gently as I could I let it pass on to her warm mouth, waiting for it to go down her throat. I was in awe of how greedily she swallowed it, looking for more. I opened my mouth a little more and she swallowed it all, so I continued. She must have been thirsty, and my aqua di amori was sweet and she liked it. I kept giving her what was hers to take and in a few minutes I could already feel a change in her.

It seems my theory was right. She was my mate. The aqua di amori could be used to heal primarily mates, but also others. My mate was human and her weak body was fighting a foreign substance. Maybe my aqua di amori could be used to help her body get rid of the drug. I was right, it was working.

I forced my empathic abilities to scan her emotional state.

It was as if she was swimming against a current that was dragging her down and, slowly, she was beating it, resurfacing and leaving the darkness behind. She was not conscious yet, but she was already fighting for it, and she was winning the battle. I started to feel a certain awareness coming from her as the black hole where her conscious mind was lost the battle to keep her unresponsive and asleep.

I nearly lost my mind when a soft moan left her mouth and I could not help but to grind myself against her, deliriously happy that even unconscious her body was responding to me, her mate. I kept quenching her thirst, giving her more and more of what I had. Praying to God that I had more to give, opening my mouth more, tasting her, letting her drink from me, losing myself in the wonderful awareness that I was feeding and healing my mate with my own body.

I lost myself in this intimate act. My purr only intensified as she snuggled even closer to me and her little tongue lapped at mine, trying to get more of what I was giving her.

My lips and hers moved together as if they had done it since the beginning of time. We were lost in time, in this kiss and in one another, and then, as if in a pass of magic the outside world lost meaning and importance, as a small voice, soft and warm, but raspy and sore and oh so sweet, murmured against my lips.

"My Jasper."

I looked down in awe, only to lose myself into the two heavy lidded but beautiful chocolate orbs that returned my gaze. My love was awake.

**Well? Did jasper handle Edward like he deserved? Did he take good care of his mate? Is he The Warlord or just a merciless killer? Tell me what you think and leave a review.**

**A/N - If you like my writing, go and check out my new stories: ****The Menace**** – a Jasper's / Bella story in a very dark tone. And my ****Ad Vitam Aeternum,**** my first try at a Marcus/Bella, with a powerful and passionate Marcus Volturi. Leave your thoughts in the form of a review, it makes my day.**


	26. Chapter 26

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story. This story is pre read by **Savage Grace** a kind and sweet girl that likes to help.

**mama4dukes** has taken over as my beta in this story and I am so happy with that and with the work that she does on it that I can make an happy dance.

**A/N I would like to remember all of you that are not registered on the FF site, or that do not bother to log in, that any questions that you write on your reviews will not be answered because I lack your contact. So, please do us all a favor and register yourself. It is not hard to do.**

Chapter 26

The Warlord's Mate

Jasper POV

I opened my eyes only to lose myself into two heavily lidded, but beautiful chocolate orbs that returned my gaze. My mate was awake. She was still barely conscious, but to me it meant the world.

"Hello sugar. I am here." A soft smile, weak - only a little twitch of the left corner of her mouth was my answer and it was enough for me. A tiny, weak and tired wisp of love flew from her and warmed my soul. She was too weak to speak, but I could tell that she was going to try. My wonderful, stubborn woman!

"I miss…ed you." She rasped, her sore throat making her wince, probably from lack of use. I stretched my arm out and reached for the bottle of isotonic drink that I had salvaged. I uncorked it.

"I know, my dove. I have been out of my mind looking for you. All is well now. You are with me and I won't ever let you go again. But you have been through a lot. You must rest and regain your strength. Drink this; it will help you recover faster." Carefully, I brought the bottle to her mouth and, like if I was feeding a child, I let the drink slip into her mouth in little quantities.

She drank eagerly - although frowning a little to the slight sour taste, tilting her head to have more and covering my hand with hers. I was afraid that she could choke on it, but she must have been in need of it because, before I knew it, she had emptied the bottle. I checked on her emotions and she was feeling sated and relaxed.

Suddenly, I felt her being overwhelmed by a massive wave of anguish and worry. _Oh, my mate, you are remembering what happened when you were taken._ Her breathing picked up and her heartbeat exploded in her chest. She started to struggle to get up from my embrace. It was a normal event, and one that I was prepared to deal with. Kidnapping victims, especially when drugged often would have short term memory loss, then when their brain cleared up a little, often their memories would just explode in their minds. It could be very traumatic.

I send her way all the calm and tranquility that I could gather, without making her unconscious. I could not tell her about her father. Not yet. Not while she was so weak. It would cause only added emotional pain. I needed her to be in a safe environment before I give her the news.

I tightened my hold on her as soon as she quieted a little.

"Shhhh…my little one. All is well. Relax. You are safe. I am here with you. Edward has been handled and will face the consequences of his actions. Relax my beloved." I cooed to my distressed mate while I gently rocked her, trying to calm her down. My beast sensed her distress and started purring for her too.

"My dad, Jasper! He hurt my dad." She whimpered, and I felt her worry and love for her father.

"I know, my dove. Rose and I were with your father shortly after you were taken; he knows that you are with me. All will be okay." I almost cringed at my half truths, but she was not in any shape to handle the death of her father right now. I wanted to kick myself for not being straight with her when I felt her relax and relief flooded her. Damn mating, lying comes easy to all of us vampires, except for between a mated pair.

"He is going to be so mad. We have to prepare a story." She said, snuggling closer to me.

"Don't worry, my love. I promised him that I would find you and that I would take care of you." It was not a lie. I had promised him that. I would do it forever.

Too soon for my taste, I felt her exhaustion and she snuggled further into my chest and drifted off to sleep.

I just waited. I focused on keeping her movements stable and any possible nightmares at bay now that her mind was free of the numbness of the drugs. The scenes that she had witnessed when she had been taken and the stress of her captivity, will most likely take a heavy toll on her subconscious.

Around three in the afternoon, the rain had stopped and although the weather remained overcast, it was somewhat warm and dry. I could not wait anymore. Even if she was in a stable condition I had to take her to security and I needed to make Eleazar take a look at her and assess her condition properly. After all, he had as many medical degrees as Carlisle did.

_But he is a male_, my beast snarled at me. I refused to acknowledge this. Her health came first, but the jealousy and possessiveness were already installed inside of me.

Carefully, I disentangled myself from her, laid her down and covered her naked body. I went to see if my clothes had dried off. They had.

I rolled the end of my pants to about the same size as her legs, and I gently put them on her. I felt the pattern of her conscious mind shift and I looked at her face to see her open eyes, sleepy but locked on me. I scanned her emotions, and even though she was more conscious, she was still very weak and tired. I also felt some physical pain and anxiety in her. I gently kissed her soft lips, happy that she was awake again and reveled in her melting against me.

"I am lending you my clothes, my dove. We are running towards Denali and you will get cold from the speed. The rain stopped, but the weather is a bit unstable; we must be going if we want to be there before nightfall, it is going to be cold by nightfall and I don't want you in danger."

She nodded, and then I felt her perplexity and confusion.

"Yes, my dove?"

"What will you be wearing for the journey to Denali?" Her voice was still raspy, and it had an underline of sleep that made her so fuckable. I shivered at the thought of being in her, inside of her, knowing now was not the time to be having this kinds of thought's. I smiled at her concern.

"I will be fine, my mate. I like to run like this, my body was made for this, for freedom. Clothes are really very restrictive to a vampire. We use them out of social conventions really. And once we get to Denali I will have a change of them ready. The girls there are used to seeing me without clothes." I chuckled as I felt her tiny burst of jealousy.

"Jealous, my love? You don't have to be. I am yours, all yours. They do not hold a candle to you, sweetie. Those girls are the past. If I, one day, allow another person in our bed it is because you want it too, my mate." I smirked and pecked her lips, sending her a small burst of assurance and love, making her sigh and a small smile tug her lips.

I lifted her a little more and managed to dress her in my shirt, buttoning it all the way to the top. She would be near other males; I did not want others to see what was mine, and only mine - even if I trusted them. It was too soon in my mating and I was too possessive of her. The sight of her in my clothes was breathtaking and I immediately got hard. I would make sure that she always had something of mine on her body from now on. She looked so sexy in her innocent way.

_Take what is ours. Claim her._ My beast whispered to me and it took all I had to control my dick and my animal. She was not ready for this. Not after all that she had gone through.

She was flushed against me and blushed a delicious shade of red as she felt the evidence of my desire against her body, shifting slightly to feel more of it and letting slip from her mouth a wonderful moan. Even in this drowsy state she managed to feel a bit of lust and desire. I groaned at the feel of her.

"Shhh, my mate. Now is not the time for this." I kissed her softly and went down her body to put my socks and boots on her. They were too big, but they would do for now. Their main function was to keep her warm anyway, not to be a fashion statement.

Finally I slip my jacket onto her.

"Are you warm enough?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you."

Suddenly, a rational emotional pattern, approaching fast made me put my mate down and jump to the entrance of the rock shelter. I concentrated on the intruder while letting a warning growl rip through my chest. The invader came into view and immediately stopped in front of me, his head bowed and his hands hanging loosely on his side, showing me his submission.

I got out of my crouch and greeted him, taking in his bright red eyes and scanning his emotions. He was sated and slightly worried.

It was acceptable.

"Get up, Bastien. Welcome back. We are ready to go."

"Oui, mon capitain. Le petit ange?"

"She is fine. A bit tired and maybe hungry and still feeling some of the effects of the drugs, but she has awakened. I used my aqua di amori on her and it managed to bring her out of the drug induced coma she was in." I said proudly. I was proud that I had used my own body to help heal my woman.

He nodded, understanding filling him.

"I see mon capitain. I saw Alec do the same to Renata - his mate, when we faced a rogue coven in a mission for the Masters back in 1920 in Russia; one of them managed to burn her right arm and hand pretty bad, before we could deal with him. They had just found each other and they were in mating at the time. Alec licked her arm and hand for hours, pouring on the wounds his aqua di amori until the burning abated and the tissues rebuilt and regenerated."

"Afterwards Alec and I, who had just begun mating with Alexis, gave to Marcus all we could spare of our aqua di amori for him to store and help others. Maybe you can do the same with yours. It will disappear once you claim her and bind with her." I nodded.

"I will. I had already thought of it. And I will install that as a rule for our kind. Now, let's go, I feel rain for tonight and I want to get my mate to safety."

I went inside and noted that my mate had fallen asleep again. I picked her up and wrapped her - the best I could - in the comforter and in the sleeping bag. I stepped outside with her tightly clutched to my chest and holding her bridal style. Just as a precaution I sent her way a large wave lethargy and felt as she slumped deeply into restorative slumber. I nodded once to Bastien to watch my back and we took off, running as fast as we could.

Within 3 hours we were outside the Denali property. I stopped and Bastien stopped by my side. I handed him my mate and he clutched her to him protectively. It disturbed me to see my mate in another male's arms but now it was a strategic decision. I was going to do a spot-check of the perimeter, to assess the presences in the house and in the immediate vicinity and I needed my mate safe in case there were hostile vampires here.

I felt the Denali's, Demetri, Peter and Edward in the house. No one else's but their scents around the property. It should be safe to walk in. The emotional climate was tense. I sent in the direction of the house a huge burst of fear and dread.

When their emotions shifted to terror I decided to walk in, Bastien behind me with my mate safe in his arms. I was surprised by his sense of protectiveness towards her; he would kill for my mate. His emotional state told me that he was very much in my wave length. Protect her at any price and destroy whoever tried to hurt her.

I opened the door of the impressive mountain side house. I went inside first and stopped by the open door. I immediately felt their submissiveness towards me; they were kneeling in the non threatening position needed to appease my beast. I scanned the emotional atmosphere of the house.

Fear and dread about my presence aside, Demetri's emotions were smug and sated. The three Denali girls were giddy and lustful, as always - managing to break through the haze of fear that I was sending, to look at me like if I was a candy, and sending my way huge bursts of lust, while eying my naked body.

Sorry girls, now I have my mate. Carmen and Eleazar - her mate, were fearful, shocked, doubtful and confused, and I took great pleasure at seeing Eleazar inhaling deeply in my direction. The fucker was taking in my mating scent and I could feel his repulsion of it. Good. I monitored, again, his emotions and the doubt had been replaced by understanding. He was not a threat.

Peter was glad that I was near him. He really is the brother that I had never had.

I took a deep breath of the air surrounding me and I could smell Demetri's scent all over the three girls. They all reeked of sex. He had been having fun. Lucky bastard!

I locked my eyes on the biggest threat. Edward. He was kneeling beside Peter, his hand clamped tight on the boy's shoulder to keep him down.

Pain was radiating from the boy. Venom was slowly lacking from the stumps of his arms and from his eye. He had fed. His remaining eye was red, shimmering with unshed venom. His face was disfigured. My engravings on his chest were clearly visible to my vampiric eyes as my venom immortalized them on his skin. It would be almost impossible for him to keep the human façade now.

Good. This farce of the Cullen way of living had being going on for far too long. I saw him trying to scan our thoughts and felt a small twang of longing, hope and possessiveness laced with fear, disgust, anger and hate, coming from him as Isabella's wonderful human scent invaded the room.

"MINE. MY MATE, MY WOMAN!" I roared to him, shaking the panel glass walls, and showing him and all of them that the human woman was mine, so - naturally off limits, and at the same time a warning to everybody to not to piss me off even more. It was enough to send him cowering on the floor.

I turned towards Bastien and stretched my arms. He gently gave me back my mate. I kissed her forehead that was now wrinkled, her emotions showing a bit of fright. She was having a nightmare.

"Shsss, my mate. I am here. You are safe." I cooed nuzzling her neck and kissing her lips softly and took enormous satisfaction when I felt how the fright and anxiety she was feeling abated and she snuggled closer to me. I heard a faint growl, and immediately a loud shriek of pain. Peter had just put Edward in his place. I glared at the boy and then I looked over to the chief of this coven. An old Volturi companion. Even though Tanya was widely known as the founder of the coven and its public face, Eleazar was the true leader.

He got up and walked to me. His arm raised in the Volturi salute.

"Welcome to our house, My Lord. Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nella pace!"

I nodded and responded to the salute.

"Together for eternity in law, justice and peace! Thank you for your welcome Eleazar."

I felt the surprise coming from Edward as he recognized the Volturi salute, and his immediate disgust towards Eleazar. Stupid, prejudiced boy!

"Eleazar, as you were informed I need your help. My mate has been drugged for four days with…" I turned to Peter, he had some medical training. He had clamped a hand over Edward's mouth to keep him from saying something that could kill him even before his trial.

"Sergeant!" I barked out for him to answer.

"Yes Sir! I was able to take a good look at the intravenous drip that were in the cave. Edward had a mix of Propofol, Thiopental and Methohexital. She was heavily sedated when we arrived with Ketamine and I believe she was on a schedule of six hours per take. She was being administered intravenously from what I could tell and from the markings on her arms."

"Hummm…those are commonly used in anesthetic procedures. Ketamine is awful because it is derived from hallucinogenic, and is never to be used without a surgical procedure. In fact it has strong and very nasty secondary effects. Not a good combination with the other two." He said pensively.

I growled again at Edward. The bastard still had a long bill to pay for this. I nodded my head at Peter and he swiftly removed the bastard from my sight before I lost my mind again.

"We need to clean up her system, my lord. Get those drugs out of her. Carmen can assist me in that with your permission. Has she been awake?"

"Yes, I managed to keep her awake for short periods after I made her drink my aqua di amori. But she is feeling very week, anxious and tired. She has long sleep periods and I am detecting pain coming from her."

"Yes. Hummm… I see that Edward was wrong, you really are her mate. You did very well using your aqua di amori; it seems to have helped her. The symptoms you described however are those observed for withdrawal of these kinds of drugs, I…" He hesitated.

"Yes?" I growled at him.

"I will need to touch her, major. I must assess her physical condition and treat whatever she has. I know you are in mating and that it will be very stressful for you to witness it, but Carmen will be with me and even one of the girls." He bowed his head while waiting for me to decide. No way in hell that I was going to be out of this room when she was with another male touching her!

"I will be in the room the entire time. I will not let my mate alone. Your mate is welcome to be in the room also. May I have a word with her?" He nodded, pleased that I was following the rules. Never talk to a mated woman without asking permission for it from her mate before. I turned towards Carmen.

"Carmen, thank you for help. My mate hasn't been eating. She is weak. Have you received my message?"

She smiled. "Si senõr. I have everything ready for her. The white room on the second floor has been prepared and warmed to human standards. The fridge is full and I have made the soup that you asked. I have also boiled some apples for her, if she can take them. Tomorrow if she is feeling better I will cook something more substantial."

"Good. Thank you for your care. You said white room?"

"Si sinõr. I will show you." She turned towards the stairs leading the way and I followed her, feeling Eleazar behind us.

"Demetri. Bastien. I addressed the room, knowing that they were paying attention. "Call Sam and Marcus and update them. Tell them that we will head directly to Montana in about a week's time and that everything must be wrapped up in Forks now. It's time to leave the town. Tell Marcus to get Jenks to change the deed of the Forks house to the Whitlock house. Tell him also to make a donation to the tribal council of the Quileute people of a million dollars for their help in our efforts to recuperate my mate. I would like to have one of the jets to fly up here and get us. We won't be driving back. As soon as you complete those tasks, you are on leave until tomorrow. Don't make any loud noises. I don't want my mate to awaken." I told them, feeling their immediate excitement, glee and joy. I almost quivered from the lust that was surrounding the five of them.

We all were in for a hell of a night. _We especially. A hard on with our mate unable to pleasure us. _My beast growled and this time I had to agree.Fuck!

_Oh, boy. Bastien! You horny bastard. Alexis is going to kick your ass when you arrive smelling of the Denali succubus._ I thought to myself. Like many mated vampires, they loved each other fiercely, but some mated women allowed their men to have some sexual encounters with other partners. Peter, Bastien, Caius and Aro were some of those lucky bastards.

The same was true for few females. We are very possessive and jealous of our women. But there are a few exceptions to the rule. A few male vampires allowed other males to fuck their mates. A very few vampires in the world had experienced the joys of sharing the beds of Caius and Aro's wives. With them in the room of course, jerking off as others fucked their women. Carlisle and I were some of those lucky bastards.

How they get past their possessiveness and jealousy, is something I can't tell. Caius never told me how he did it. I had shared his bed with his wife on more than one occasion, taking them both, and when I asked how he could share her and her him, he just smirked knowingly at me and said "_Once you mate with your intended one and you get to be with her for a 1000 years, we will again talk about this_."

I am just starting to mate and I get in a red daze of anger just at the thought of someone else other than me touching my Isabella, being inside her; making her moan; another male making her scream in ecstasy; another male making her…. _STOP THAT SHIT RIGHT NOW, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!_ My beast roared crazy with jealousy. I shake my head to try to get rid of the disturbing images.

Mine, all mine, only mine forever!

We got to the room and I stepped in. It was beautiful, like the whole house. It was warm and soft lights gave it a cozy atmosphere. It was the white room, because all in it was white: doors, windows, closets, tiles, toilets, showers, towels, sofas, chairs, tables, lamps, rugs, drapes, bed and linens. I walked to the bed and gently unwrapped my mate from all her covers. I took off my boots and socks from her small feet. They were a bit cold. I laid her down on the bed and I started to unbutton my shirt from her body when I stopped. I could not go on. It was killing me having to strip her with Eleazar in the room.

_No, no, a male is here with her…he is looking at her…no, she is ours! Cover her! Protect her from his eyes!_

"Senõr, I will undress your mate, while Eleazar goes for his medical bag." Carmen said. A tone of authority in her voice.

_No, no way you old hag. She is mine._ My inner beast growled and I echoed it.

I lay on top of my mate, covering her with my body, protecting what was mine from this male's covetous eyes and his mate's intrusion. A growl was continuously rumbling through my chest, making Eleazar and Carmen stop.

"Major, I know what you are feeling and I understand. But you know that this it is the best way. And Carmen, my mate is the first mother of this house." He spoke carefully - his eyes on the floor, his hands by his side, his posture screaming submissiveness, knowing that one wrong word or look in my mate's direction would end up with him laying in pieces on the floor.

Fuck, he was right. They were right. If I did not behave now she would kick me out of the room. I'd better accept her authority in here.

"Yes, that is acceptable." It was all I could growl before he left the room.

"Senõr, I have a nighgown and underwear for your mate in the bathroom. It will make Eleazar exams easier. He will not see her…" I snarled at her choice of words.

"Senõr, I know what you are going through, but I am here to help you and your mate as the first mother of this house. You must calm down. I will be back in a second." Her words barely registered. I could only feel her sense of calm and duty laced with concern and protectiveness. I nuzzled my mate's neck taking comfort in her scent. All too soon Carmen was back.

"Sorry Senõr, but you need to let go of her. I will undress her." I felt Carmen's amusement and heard her chuckle, but I decided to let it go.

"No, I will do it!" Hoping that she wasn't too strict as a first mother. After all she lived with three unmated succubus.

She huffed and stayed close by. I could see and feel her disapproval but she allowed it. I knew that I was breaking some of the rules of the House of Women concerning propriety between mates to be. In their laws, as Isabella was my mate and we were in mating, our encounters should be monitored by an older mated female before the binding ceremony.

Every coven had a first mother, well all except the Cullens, if they were educated in such a way Esme or Rosalie should have taken the task. The first mother was the one that guided the females and provided the teaching of the young ones and shared the traditions and rituals of our race. She was also the moral authority and severe penalties occurred to those who disrespected the authority of a first mother.

Quickly, before I lost it again, I undressed Isabella, leaving her naked as the day she was born. I could not resist in rubbing myself quickly all over her, making Carmen chuckle softly and radiate amusement, despite her disapproval.

I ignored her. My mate would smell of me and that male would not covet her!

I knew I was being irrational. I knew she had to be seen by a doctor. I knew that he was a doctor. I knew that he was worried about her, and in some way I could feel that he cared for my woman, much as Carlisle did, but…fuck...she is MY MATE and he is a male with a cock between his legs!

And if before having her as mine that wouldn't have been a problem for me; I was known to fuck senseless all that came my way and aroused my interest, not even caring if they were mated or not. Now that I had my mate that kind of thought was impossible to entertain.

_We need to control this. She needs to be seen by a doctor, it is for her own good_. I tried to reason with myself only to be greeted by the enraged snarls of my inner beast. He was mad with jealousy.

_No, mine…you don't let another male touch her intimately. I will rip him to pieces; him and everyone else in this house!_ He roared at me. And it was all I could to keep him in check, in order to help my mate.

_She needs this. She needs this. She needs this_. I sang over and over in my head to shut his roaring. It helped to an extent and I could once again concentrate on my woman.

I took my lethargic influence from her and looked down in wonder as she slowly returned to a conscious state. I sent her happiness, calm and love and saw her beautiful eyes open slightly and look my way. A wonderful, sleepy smile lifted her lips as she snuggled closer to me and yawned making me chuckle.

"Hello my dove. It's time to wake up. You are safe; we are at Denali with friends. Eleazar and his wife are doctors and are going to take a look at you - just to be sure that nothing is wrong. Is that okay?" I could not resist the temptation of those red, full lips and I gave her a light kiss tasting her sweetness. She just smiled and, nibbling my lower lip, she surrendered to my kiss. And then a kiss that was just a small peck turned into a confusion of tongues, moaning and grinding, until a soft clearing of throat averted me to a presence in the room, making me growl lowly. _Fuck my life_.

"Senõr, I need to dress Isabella, so she can be seen by Eleazar and then eat something." I closed my eyes and growled lowly at her making Isabella giggle softly.

"I will be here the whole time. You can trust them, my mate."I locked eyes with my mate drowning in her depths.

I saw my mate's eyes crinkle up in confusion. She was staring intently at my eyes. Oupsss.

"Your eyes. The diet…" I sighed. She was feeling apprehensive, A little sad and curious. No fear. Well better met this head on.

"Isabella. I was never born to be a vegetarian. It is not a good thing for a vampire. It makes us weak and unstable and it is ten times more difficult to control the thirst. It was a farce that I took part for a few years because of my mission with the Cullens. I am not a vegetarian and I never was. It is not the way of our race and it is just wrong. I only kill those who deserve it and I do it quickly. Does my diet change how you feel for me?"

"No Jasper. I was just surprised by it; I have never seen your red eyes before. I should have known that it could not work. I know that with being a vegetarian you are never satisfied and you constantly fight to get over your bloodlust. I really never understood why you guys did it. To refuse your natural food source - even if it is because of moral reasons, is not healthy. There are ways of having the blood without killing if you are dead set against taking a human life." She answered me with a little smile. She was feeling reassured and once again curious.

"That is why the Whitlock House has just bought one of the largest companies that commercializes blood and owns most blood banks in the world. We supply hospitals, we promote campaigns for donors and we use what the human's reject. It is a win/win deal. And I allow everyone to hunt; there are many low life scums out there."

"Senõr, we must hurry. She needs care." I sighed. Carmen was right.

With a last little peck on her lips I grudgingly got off my mate but stayed by her side, holding her hand. I saw the kindness and softness as Carmen put the underwear on my mate and then the nightgown. The items were practical. Simple white cotton panties and bra, and a pink simple thin strapped silk nightgown that covered her body up to her feet.

I could live with this.

I heard Eleazar knock on the bedroom door and I nodded to Carmen to let him in.

He came inside slowly to not awaken and threaten the beast and, approached the bed, laying his medical bag on the floor. He paused as he took in that Isabella was awake and then he looked at her radiating confusion.

"Later!" I instructed him. I was sure that he was puzzled because his gift was being blocked by my mate.

He looked at me, and following the etiquette asked me silently if he could talk to her.

"Yes, you may."

"Hello Isabella, my name is Eleazar. I would like to examine you. May I?"He was in doctor mode and was being respectful of my mate.

Isabella looked at me and, at my smile of approval, she shyly nodded to him.

He was already wearing his stethoscope and directing it towards my mate's chest when my hand closed in on his, making him jump.

"Direct me. I will do it." I snarled.

_Good. Don't let his fingers touch our mate_. My beast growled inside of me.

I took it while he kept it by his ears. I moved it slowly through her chest accordingly with his directions, and at the same time I monitored his emotions. Nothing serious, just mild medical concern.

"No heart troubles that I can hear, her heart beat is steady and strong and her lungs are clear. I need to check her blood pressure."He searched his bag and took out the device to measure her arterial pressure handing it to me. I put it around her arm and watched it as she did what he told her.

"Her blood pressure is a bit too low. Probably a consequence of the drugs. I have the necessary medicine to fight the ones that are overwhelming her system. With your permission I would like to administer them to her." I nodded. I would let him do all that it took to bring her back to health.

"I have always had a bit of a low blood pressure. I used to feel really bad sometimes with the desert heat in Phoenix. It is no big deal, just please, no needles." She shivered at the thought and we all laughed. Silly girl - as if I would let her have anything but the best care in the world.

I sensed however an underlying tones of worry in Eleazar. He was worried about something and, seeing the lift of my eyebrow, he decided to talk.

"My lord, I have to give her a quick scan of her body to see possible broken or bruised bones…"my roar stopped him and made him back up a step and my mate to jump in fright. I purred to her and snuggled her closer to my body as I glared at Eleazar. _He will not lay a hand on my mate_. I saw Carmen sigh and step forward.

"Senõr, is it acceptable that I do the scan of her body? My mate can leave the room to go get the necessary medication for the detoxing your mate." Carmen asked gently, her eyes on the floor - nothing but concern and worry flowing from her.

_She is a woman and a first mother. She can, we will watch her closely._ My beast growled and I agreed with it. A woman would be acceptable. And she was a doctor too.

I looked at Eleazar and, narrowing my eyes, I nodded.

She moved closer to my mate and as soon as Eleazar left the room, she started slowly to move her fingers all over my mate's body. Whenever she made her wince a growl would rip through my chest, but a small, warm little thumb drawing circles on my hand managed to keep me in check.

After five excruciating minutes she finally stopped allowing me to move my mate fully into my embrace.

"She has no broken bones, but she has a few bruised ribs and her arms and wrists are in bad shape. I think that she must stay in bed for the next few days. I will bandage her ribs. Not exerting her in any way. Besides, the medicine that Eleazar is going to give her has several side effects. She will be nauseated and vomiting and experiencing severe intestinal troubles for at least two days. It is necessary, though, to clean her body and her blood."

"Will she be in pain?"I asked Carmen, dreading her answer, when my mate surprised me.

"Jasper, I have been in pain before. I can take it, don't worry. Thank you so much Carmen. For everything you are doing for me, for the clothes and the care. I want this thing out of my body as soon as possible. I don't care what it takes to do it. I just want this gone. But before we do this, can I take a bath, please? I want to be clean for what is to come." Carmen was almost bursting in joy for being needed and her work appreciated.

"Of course, sweetie. I will prepare it right away. I am just going to step outside and talk to Eleazar for what needs to be done and I will come back to help you bathe. Senõr, you will also step outside."

"What? No way."No way am I stepping outside. I am looking forward to bathe my mate. To pass a sponge on her luscious body, maybe take a lick or two of her heavenly parts; it has been so long since I tasted her sweet juices. Fuck I am hard again just thinking of her taste.

"Yes! I am a woman, and I will bathe Isabella. This is women's territory if you remember well. She is unmated, you have not bonded yet and she is a virgin. I am the older woman in this coven. You are not mated to her yet so you are thinking with your dick, and she is not in any shape to be fooling around in the tub with you. I am invoking my privileges as the first mother of this house, Senõr."

_Fuck, she turned the laws against me._ I was in her house, and she was older than me, and mated. According to the traditions of the House of Women, she was the first mother, and therefore the authority in female matters and she had just taken over in caring for a maiden. My maiden mate. Fuck, I did not remember this. There was nothing I could do. I had to obey. It was the law. But I had to try.

"But I have already been and seen…" She interrupted me like if I was a teenager.

"Senõr, I don't care what you have done with her already or what you have seen. That was done when you where alone and in the human world. Now you are in this house under my care and in the vampire world. This is the law and the rule of the House of Women. You may be our leader and I will follow you loyally, but in this case my word is the law and it is final."She lifted a brow as if waiting for me to contradict what she had said. She was a scary woman, like all first mothers. I just nodded.

"I will be back in a few minutes, behave." She left with a smile of amusement and smugness swirling around her and I had to contain my tongue from spilling a "_Yes, mum." Damn!_

I buried my nose in my mate's hair and I took a big whiff of her scent. _Who knows when I will be able to do so again? With this female dragon guarding her now, I am screwed_. I scanned her emotions and Isabella was in borderline hysterics. Her body was shaking with her efforts to contain her laughter. I looked at her.

"What?"

"She is scary and she just put you in your place. I have so many questions, so much to learn…" I stopped her knowing that she was going.

"We have all the time in the world. All your questions about the women's world, about what is expected from you as my mate and what it means to be mated will be answered to you by the first mother of our house. Charlotte is the first mother of the Whitlock House. A first mother is a cross between a leader, a mother, a big sister and a guard dog." At this she couldn't contain her amusement anymore, she just busted into laughter clutching her sides, feeling the pain of her sore ribs.

"I see you don't like the guard dog part." She gasped between pained giggles.

Before I could answer her sassy remark, I heard Carmen come back. She opened the door and looking at me with a raised brow, tapping her foot, keeping it open for me.

"Go, I will be fine. Maybe later you can come and hold me while I sleep, if Carmen is okay with that?"

"We will see. Now shhhsss…go on senõr. My mate is waiting for you in his study. I will call you when she is ready." The She Dragon said. I took another long whiff of my mate's scent and with a last peck on her lips I moved slowly towards the door.

Carmen stepped inside and went to the bathroom. I took a last look at my mate and had a need like I never had before.

"I was lost when you were taken, Isabella. I love you and I will never let you go. I will come back later." I heard several gasps but the one that mattered the most to me was accompanied by a huge burst of love and joy. I smiled at her, letting her know that I had received her emotions and closed the door.

*Le petit ange – French – The little angel.

**A/N - What do you think of Jasper's fight with his monster and his jealousy?**

**And about Carmen's behavior? She made Jasper obey her orders. Seems that women do have some power in my world after all, no?**

**Please make my day and read and review. Tell me your thoughts.**


	27. Chapter 27

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story. I haven't been able to answer back to those of you that reviewed last chapter but I have read all of them and you have made my day.

**mama4dukes** has taken over as my beta in this story. Savage grace and letsjustdance are my pre readers. Thank you for their help.

I am sorry for the delay with the update of this chapter and the updates of the chapters of my other stories. I have been submitted to an emergency surgery and I have spent the last weeks in the hospital and later at home unable to write much. I am still a bit shaken, but I will start now writing as best as I can. Thank you for your understanding.

Chapter 27

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

I stood in the hallway for a while listening to the soft sounds coming from inside the room.

Not that I did not trust Carmen to take good care of my mate, I knew that she was in good and capable hands. She was the first mother of this coven trained by Marcus himself and loyal to the bone to the Volturi cause and to the institution that she represented – The House of Women.

The first mothers were the quintessential mothers. Loving and caring, protective of the lonely or unmated females, they were the balance and the safe haven for women in a world dominated by powerful, dominant, territorial males.

They did not meddle between mated couples, politics or general male business, or tried to subvert the natural dominance of the male in our society, but they offered advice and console when needed or asked. These highly trained women were the heart of the vampire nation, bringing respect and safe keep of the traditions, a word of compassion for the defeated and protection for the oppressed women.

Their influence extended outside the vampire world. They sponsored shelters for abused women and children in the human world and supervised and sponsored a worldwide network of organizations that tried to fight against human trafficking, pedophilia, and slavery.

My coven had Charlotte, my sister by venom and mate to Peter as our first mother for the past 30 years. She was a good and powerful first mother and a scary one as hell too, having been created to be a warrior in the Southern Wars and personally trained by me during my time in there. She was actually a very good fighter and could hold her own against any opponent. She worshipped the floor that Marcus walked on. He had been her mentor in more ways than one, while she was training in Volterra as first mother, and her respect for him came only after her love for her mate and her loyalty towards me.

She had talked to me several times about my relationship with Alice, and how harsh my punishments of her were. Although she was aware that ours was a fake marriage and a fake love, a relationship created to play a role, and she knew of my dominant personality, it was disturbing to her the inequality of the feelings between us two. She tried for several times to speak on Alice's behalf and in her quiet but somewhat stubborn way, she tried to make me act in a more tender and gentle way with her, even if we both knew that she was not my mate. She just could not help her first mother instincts.

But Alice, in her own arrogant way always refused her help and orientation, as well as any House of Women involvement in her life, and one day, while in a time away from the Cullens - in the course of a heated discussion while Charlotte tried to persuade her to believe that she was not my intended mate and that she had to act more professionally; Alice just went into a fit of rage and she dared to physically attack Charlotte. I stepped in to stop the attack and I punished Alice severely in front of the guard members that were present, which only served to further enhance her hatred towards the first mothers.

Some months later, while on the celebration of the winter solstice in the Great Temple situated in a cave under the Volterra hills; Alice stood in all her arrogance, proud of her powerful gift and in the illusion that because of it she was allowed to do anything. She turned towards the great alter, where the first mothers of the House of Women and the first fathers of the House of Men stood, and locking her eyes with the High Priest Marcus, she publicly criticized the influence of the House of Women and their constant prying in her life.

I can still feel the shock that went through the hundreds of vampires present. Like one, all of the first mothers present in the room turned their backs on her, while the other women stood looking at her incredulously. Only a fool would turn down their support and break the ties to the only force capable of defending an unmated woman in this manner.

Never again did she have a first mother defending her or acknowledging her, and even the loving Carmen, although friendly and polite towards her, did not help or defend her in any way. She was allowed to continue with her mission with me, but she was carefully monitored from then on by Peter. Her lack of objectivity, arrogance and manipulative ways had sealed her fate.

Carmen had not thought for a moment to take my wounded Isabella under her wing, as was her right as first mother of this coven. It was true that Isabella was not bonded to me YET and I had brought her to a coven where a first mother existed, so she had stepped in to assure that I followed the laws that I had sworn to defend and uphold - even if in doing so she was taking the risk of making me angry at her.

The first mothers balanced the animal tendencies of a male oriented society and gave a bit of humanity to our world. Their need and will to take care of others, especially the youngest and weakest, was believed to be a gift that they all shared.

Charlotte has been positively hysterical with the idea of teaching my Isabella all that she needs to know to be a good mate and to fit easily into her new world. So have the other women in my coven, not to mention the worst of them all, Sulpicia and Athenadora. _God_, those two were already making wedding plans.

I have always respected the first mothers…until now. Now that I have a mate and one of the she dragons is just crossing my path and picking on me, stealing my natural rights of being with my mate.

_Fuck, she was going to bathe my mate and I am locked outside._ I know I sound like a pussy and I really feel like stomping my foot, but even I think that that is just a bit too much for the Warlord.

I sighed as I heard Carmen coaxing my mate out of bed and leading her into the bathroom. I heard her talking about trivial things with Isabella as she bathed my mate. Isabella was relaxed and feeling comfortable around Carmen, a tiny feeling of love already present in her towards the first mother.

Carmen felt nothing but love, concern, protectiveness and care, joy lacing all of the above as she took care of my mate as if she was a dear child. Their emotions were a warm blanket on my cold soul. I closed my eyes and let them wash over me for a few minutes.

I made my way downstairs slowly. There was only an emotional signature inside the house located in the west wing. Eleazar must have been in his office. Peter had probably taken Edward on a hunt - with his wounds he had to drink every 3 or 4 hours. The others should be out in the wild, away from the house, enjoying their leave with the Denali girls.

At least they were having fun. _Me, I am stuck with a wounded mate guarded by a she dragon. Just my luck!_ And fuck, I am still naked and filthy. I sighed as I paused to knock at the door of Eleazar study.

"Come in my Lord."

As I opened the door I was greeted with the chaos that was Eleazar office. Situated exactly in the center of the house, was an almost inexpugnable room, its stone walls, ceiling and floor were made of the hardest granite, reinforced by titanium and gave the whole room the air of a medieval dungeon. There were no windows or openings, and the door was a solid bloc of the same titanium. A metal that could stop even an enraged vampire. The room was illuminated by soft light carefully hidden between the stones.

Files and sheets of papers were scattered throughout - on the ground, on his desk, on the sofas. Stacks of books piled up everywhere. There wasn't a clear space in the entire room. The office had no windows and was sound proof, due to the nature of his work. The walls were covered with bookshelves from top to bottom. A big sturdy oak desk stood in the middle of the room. On the east corner, in front of the huge stone fireplace a set of sofas provided a place for quiet talks. Cabinet files were scattered wherever there was a clear place.

Everywhere I looked there were books and files and papers and scraps of papers. His computer was only perceived by its form as it was buried under what looked tons of papers.

_How can he work like this?_

Eleazar was the archivist of gifts, having himself the ability to know just by looking at someone what was his or her gift. He had thousands of files describing all the abilities known to exist in our kind. He, as part of the Volturi was charged with the cataloging, description and tracking of those gifts.

It was one of the rules of the new order, to have all covens and vampires, gifted or not to report to him once every ten years, for him to assess the development of powers. Thanks to him we would be able to detect the misuse of abilities and call the guilty parties to justice.

He stood from his desk as I went inside, ready to salute me.

"My lord…"

"Hello Eleazar, at ease, my friend. I see that not much has changed since my last visit here, two years ago," I said, chuckling while looking around at the mess.

He looked sheepishly at me, but he was feeling amused.

"I had the visit of some old friends of mine from Mongolia just last week. They wanted to know if his coven's youngest member was gifted. We had to do some research…Carmen has been nagging me to clean up, but I am too busy now, with the announcement and the preparations for your investiture." He said while clearing a spot on the sofa by just picking up some files and throwing them behind it.

I nodded, managing to keep a straight face while seeing his efforts to clean up for me to sit; I had heard this excuse often. I could not say anything, knowing how some of us brought traits of our human personality into our immortal life. Eleazar was one of the most peculiar vampires in existence. In his human life he had been an archivist, librarian and scientist at the court of Charles V, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire in the 16th century. His high intelligence and curious mind earned him the favor of the emperor and of the court and he gained quite a reputation in Europe as an insatiable scholar and scientist. When he was changed he brought all of his human knowledge with him - a rare thing - and since then he just kept developing it.

"Carmen said you can take a shower in the downstairs bathroom and then to give you this," he said, handing me what seemed to be some sweat pants, a t-shirt and some slacks.

I left his office and opened the door to the right. It was a small but completely equipped bathroom. A decoy for possible human visitors; I quickly took my shower, cleaning all the grime and mud accumulated for the past days from my body. In a few seconds I was dressed, the clothes fit me well and I was feeling much better.

I headed back to Eleazar office and I took a seat in the spot he had cleared as he took one in front of me, knowing that there were things that we needed to discuss. Although he had too sworn allegiance to me as had the whole coven and was my ally since I had joined the Cullens, he had been kept in the dark about me and Isabella.

"Thank you for the clothes Eleazar. It has been a while since I last took a shower. I feel better."

He waved my thanks off. I could feel his curiosity and longing. He wanted to know what was going on. Well, I am not going to walk around on egg shells.

"I know you must be confused Eleazar. The reason why I did not tell you about Isabella before is because I wanted to protect her. With a mind reader and a seer in the coven, if it was known she was my mate, there could have been some opposition to my claim, and therefore exposure of my mission, way before time. I have waited for her since coming to live with the Cullens, knowing that sometime I would cross my path with her."

I had to wait a really long time for her, _but now she is here, with us, forever! _My beast purred.

"I know how desperate Carlisle was to find a mate for Edward. I believed him and I was glad when he said that he had already found one. Never, in my mind did I imagine that the boy was simply infatuated. Claiming a mate is a serious thing. What I cannot understand is why Carlisle lied to the boy. Recognizing our mate is instantaneous and absolute, the pull cannot be faked. We produce the aqua di amori as soon as there is skin to skin contact, and the mating begins. No matter if the mate is human or not. Carlisle knows this, but I never smelled Edward's mating scent. I smell yours though. Quite strongly," he chuckled as he wrinkled his nose in distaste, his emotions betraying his actions, he was amused.

"I have my doubts that yours was any better, old man!" I said chuckling. "I don't know why Carlisle let the lie linger and the boy to delude him and the rest of the family, Eleazar. I allowed his courting of my mate for a little while though. You are aware of my mission. Infiltrate, gain their trust, get to know the dynamics of the coven, their weaknesses and strong points and make sure that they were loyal to the new order. At the same time, you too know that I was not mated to Alice; she was just a prop, despite her feelings for me. Hell, everyone in the Volturi knew it."

"Yes, I knew that. Poor Alice, so deluded about your relationship with her! So reckless and foolish. Maybe now that you repudiate her, she will seek the comfort with those she once despised." A lingering tone of sadness broke through him. He was undoubtedly remembering when Alice turned her back to the House of Women.

"Carlisle was adamant that you were all mates, and he told me everything about Isabella. He was proud of her, saying that she was calm and shy, the perfect mate for Edward." My answering snarl made him jump slightly and he looked at me sheepishly, acknowledging his faux pas.

"I know what he told you about. She was never Edward's mate, she was always mine. I allowed the little twit to court her, and I subdued his male instincts so that he would behave like a harmless infatuated boy and was unable to be intimate with her, while I gained control of my bloodlust and waited for the right time to assert my claim on my mate and expose my role."

"I see. Well I am happy you got her finally. I am appalled with all that has happened in the last week, taking someone's mate is one of the biggest sins I know, but I see that he is already paying for it." He said thoughtfully while rubbing his chin. We stayed silent for a few minutes and then he looked at me with a spark on his eye as his emotions turned to excitement.

"Your mate is extraordinary. My gift was barely able to reach her. It's like a wall that nothing can get through. I am aware that she is able to block Edward's gift and interfere with Alice's. Are you affected as well?" His eyes were wide now as he lifted his ass from the bench to pick up a ratty notebook and a pen and started writing.

"Yes, not to the same extent as they are, but sometimes I can barely feel anything from her. I believe that she has some control of it, even in her human form because I ordered her to stop blocking her emotions from me and she did it. I will test her further, later on in Montana. Do you have any idea of what she is?"

"No, I have never found anything like it. I cannot see through it, it's like trying to see through murky water, I can feel that something is there, almost in reach but I cannot get it. Maybe it is a block connected to her private personality; Carlisle told me that she is a very shy and discreet person. Or maybe she is a shield, although it does not seem like it to me, shields have a very different paranormal signature. Whatever it is, it is already strong in her human form. She will make a wonderful immortal."I could almost see the wheels turning inside his head as he tried to solve the puzzle.

I run that thought in my head.

A shield? What a good asset for any coven.

A blocker of vampire gifts? An even better asset.

She was my mate. Gifted or not, she was mine and always would be and I loved her. It is not as if I wanted her near any kind of battle. But it is good to know that at least she will be able to protect herself if trouble arrived at our doorstep and I was unable to defend her. Many good and trustworthy vampires were not gifted. I had never been one of those vampires that thought themselves superior to others just because they were gifted. A man or women was worth for what she did in life or unlife and for what she or he could achieve by their actions.

"Humm…what about Carlisle and his coven?" he asked after a while, a little sadness pouring through him again. They had a common love for knowledge and had been friends for a long time.

"He will be put to trial, Eleazar. As will the rest of the coven. They are to be made an example. Alice has been handed to the Volturi for a life sentence and Chelsea is already working on her. Rose and Emmet will be given the choice to join us as they have cut the ties with the family by siding with me."

"I never understood why Carlisle denied tradition and law, Jasper. I tried to talk to him about it. I tried to make him understand that it was wrong to deny the education to his family and that one day it would bring him problems, but he just wouldn't listen. And now everything went wrong, "he sighed.

"Yes, he has dug a nice hole for himself and his coven. He will also be held responsible for Edward's behavior." I rubbed my temples. I could not get tired, but I really felt like it.

"I heard all about Edward's actions. I could not believe what he did until I saw him and Peter told me what had happened. I knew he was a bit spoiled and arrogant, a bit stuck up in a strict Victorian morality. I told Carlisle any chance I had, that he should allow Edward to go and live in Volterra for a few years so he that he could learn some discipline and humility. All he said was that he would not taint Edward's pure soul with the depravity and evil of Volterra. All I know is that his discomfort for his condition as a vampire only got worse after the whole terrible mess with Cecilia…" At this he looked at me alarmed, his emotions turning to panic and shame and I frowned at him. _What Cecilia? What secret lies in Carlisle past that no one knows about?_

He must have seen the look in my face because he cleared his throat and turned the subject away.

"I am sorry. I should have not mentioned it. It is not my story to tell and I am under oath of secrecy by the Masters. It happened a long time ago. You were not even born yet. Maybe finally the truth can be unveiled at the trial. I would like to know if he was aware that he was raising such a spoiled child. I find it so hard to believe that he has strayed so much from the path."

"His actions have indirectly caused the death of an honorable and brave man. He has caused huge suffering to my mate. And he has almost caused the exposure of our kind. He is not suited to be a coven leader and I don't care about his fate anymore. I have a lot on my mind right now."

"I understand. I am aware that all is ready in Montana. I am glad things are moving on, we need this new system of government, I have received news that things are escalating out of control again in Central and South America and in Africa."

"Yes. My brothers and I are going to have our hands full for the next few years. It is amazing how easily our race chooses to forget past lessons."

He sighed and then looked at his watch.

"I believe it is time to treat your mate. Shall we go?" I nodded and followed him.

We arrived at my mate's room in time to hear her plead with Carmen that she was full.

I opened the door and a loud purr immediately left my chest as I took in the sight in front of me. I felt the burst of amusement from Carmen and her mate but I could care less.

My eyes met with a vision of beauty. My Isabella. My lovely mate was a dream of white in a cloud of white. Her hair had been washed and fell around her shoulders in gentle, shiny waves. She wore a simple white satin nightgown and rested lying against the headboard of the white bed. She was a goddess even if she showed the marks of her ordeal on her skin.

"Isabella." Her name just fell from my lips and when she looked at me I felt her joy and love surround me like a blanket. This woman really was made for me. I got instantly hard as her scent enveloped my very soul.

"Jasper…" her simple and almost breathlessly whispered answer was enough to awake me from my stupor and to rush to her side.

I took her in my arms and captured her mouth with mine, witnesses be damned. Faintly I heard their chuckles but all I cared about in the world was right here, right now in my arms, surrendering her body to me. Any other time I would be kind of embarrassed that my purr was reverberating through the room and in front of witnesses, but now? I had my mate here with me, awake and on the road to recovery. I had her in my arms after almost losing her; _can you blame me for not giving a shit to costume, law, tradition or propriety right now?_

I released her mouth when I noticed her difficulty to breathe and I took notice of the wonderful scent of her arousal rising thickly around us. I rested my forehead against hers as I took in her scent and I basked in the complete and utter happiness that she was feeling.

In a split second I took her body in. The bruises on her arms and wrists were bad, angry marks of blue, black and purple. I smelled a kind of herbal preparation and saw the remainder of a kind of ointment on the bruises. Her hand was bandaged, and I could see that her ribs were also heavily bandaged. But she was awake and looking at me with so much love that it was all that mattered.

A sudden movement from our guard dogs was met with my growl; they'd better not be coming close to this bed now. In fact they should just leave me alone to get reacquainted with my mate. She dragon or not, Isabella is mine not hers, I have the right to be with my mate and heal her!

_Yes, that is the best thing._ I can give her a bit more of my aqua di amori and she will be better in no time.

A soft hand came to rest on my cheek and immediately my focus went to my mate.

"Shhh…it is just my medication. You know I need it. Now behave, they mean us no harm."

Reluctantly I sat by her side, gently but firmly pulling her flush against my side, my arm around her shoulder, scowling at the intruders. I was a bit peeved at my mate too, because she has told me off when I was just getting reacquainted to her, but…her needs have to come first now. I wonder where this sudden confidence and assurance that she is feeling comes from? She was not like this a week ago; she was much more shy and unsure of herself.

Now, she seems more…woman. I don't know why. Maybe this whole ordeal has somewhat gotten to her and made her tougher, a little bit more confident. Not that I mind that, as long as she respects me and defers to me as her mate. My thoughts on the subject dropped off as soon as I heard her giggle as she took in my face and the soft rumble that vibrated through my chest as I looked towards the older couple.

Eleazar slowly approached the bed and passed me a small yellow box with 3 small pills on it and a glass of water. I took them from him, looking closely at them before handing them to Isabella.

"You must take these three now. The white ones will make you sweat a bit and go to the toilet a lot." He smiled at her earning a growl from me. Her human needs are not to be commented in public with other males, friends or not.

"Sorry Jasper. I meant no disrespect to your mate. Those two white pills will help your body to get rid of the anesthetics. The other one is only for balancing your electrolytes. You will need that one because you will be losing quite a bit of vital fluids tonight."

"I know that with at least the blue one, I believe I must be drinking a lot of water too, no?" Isabella asked Eleazar while she took the pills and swallowed them with a big gulp of water.

"Yes. If you know the drill you know that it is essential that you keep hydrated. I have to warn you that for the next two or three days you won't be feeling very well as your organs gets rid of the drugs. But my mate and I will be here for you and we will help you in anyway we can."

"I will help her, I am her mate." I growled at him too low for her to ear.

"And your mate will also be here for you, of course," Carmen amended quickly, seeing my frown. I made my best to send them my annoyance at their presence and my need to be alone with my mate. I pointedly looked at the door and then at them, inviting them to get the hell out of here. I need me some quality time now with my mate. Of course, the she dragon had to come and spoil my fun.

"We will be taking our leave now. Inside the cabinet to the left there are several bottles of mineral water. You must keep drinking them all night, Bella. In about 6 hours we will give you the second dose. Senõr, she is still weak and the pills will make her feel much indisposed. I will allow that you remain here with her as she is your mate, but please remember the rules and the tradition of the House of Women as she is not mated yet. I will leave the door open so that if anything happens I can hear; I will come to bathe her again later. My study is at the end of the hall." She shot me a meaningful but piercing look, made a lovely smile at my mate and then she grabbed her mate's hand and they walked out of the room leaving me dumbfounded.

_The old hag_! She thinks we are still in the sixteenth century when a woman could not be alone with a man without a chaperone to safeguard her virtue. Damn first mothers…leave the door open…yeah…she just wants to hear all that is going on inside.

I am distracted from my thoughts about what I had in my mind when I thought that the First Mothers institution was a good idea and when I gave my avail to their influence in the vampire world by the giggles and the wonderful wave of amusement emanating from my mate. I turned towards her, snuggling closer to her body and nuzzled her neck.

"Something funny Isabella?" Her giggles turned to full laughter as my nose tickled her sensitive skin.

"As I told you before she is kind of scary…but I like her, she is strong and direct. She even keeps you on your toes."

"She most certainly does not! I merely allow her some respect because she likes you, and she is older than me and I respect old people, and she is a first mother!"I made sure that she felt my indignation. As if a first mother could scare me.

Her hummed response and another wave of amusement was my only answer.

"Will you tell me about them, the first mothers, and the House of Women, and about your world? It seems to me from what I have seen and heard that there is much more to it than what the Cullens have told me."

"Yes sugar. I will tell you all that you need to know." I installed myself comfortably by her side, pulled her close to me and prepared myself to tell her all about our society and world.

To be continued…

**A/N This chapter is very, very long so I have split it in two. I would like for you to tell me if you want the second half in the usual update schedule (in 3 weeks) or if you want it next Saturday. Please let me know.**

**And…have you any idea of what is the secret in Carlisle's past? What or who can be Cecilia?**


	28. Chapter 28

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story. I haven't been able to answer back to those of you that reviewed last chapter but I have read all of them and you have made my day.

Savage grace and letsjustdance are my pre readers. Thank you for their help.

As promised here goes the second half of last chapter. My wonderful beta, **mama4dukes**, whom I adore and love to death…has betaed this chapter at light speed, leaving her stories behind so that I could meet my engagements with my readers. Thank you my K from the bottom of my heart.

Chapter 28

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

We spent hours talking, until she started to feel a little queasy. I told her about the Volturi and how they had begun with the 3 Masters in Volterra – some of the oldest vampires known in existence and the ones that have created our way of living separately from the human world, and of their fight to control the animal instinct that ruled our race. They had rid the world of all the oldest vampires, creatures so old and ruthless that could not adapt to the future. Of the ancients only those who could adapt and follow the future that the Volturi wanted survived.

I told her about the reasons that drove us to hide our existence from humans. They were not intellectually or emotionally advanced enough to respect the differences or to understand our race; a race that fed on their blood to live, a race that they instinctively feared. The exposure of our existence would inevitably bring a full confrontation between us and possibly heavy losses on both sides. Not to mention a war that would also involve all other supernatural races still in existence in the world, all of whom also counted on secrecy to live comfortably.

"How many vampires are there exactly?"

"Well, our latest census made in the sixties gave us a number approaching the fifty thousand range." She looked at me with her mouth wide open.

"Fifty thousand? So many…"

"Yes, it is always a fluctuating popularization though. Many die in their newborn years and some are created accidentally. The fights between covens take their toll too. The greatest number of us live in Asia and Europe, second only to South America."

"How do only three people rule over them all?"

"The Volturi masters rule through their guard, and from now on through five of their most trusted warlords of their utmost trust. I am one of those warlords or governors. We, also, each have our own guard trained by us and loyal to our way of life and to the Volturi Masters. Most of us, and many of the guards are gifted in one way or another, but we also take vampires that are not gifted. When the Volturi find out about the existence of a gifted vampire, a place in the guard is always offered."

"Is that what has happened to you?"

"Yes. I was a soldier in my human days, and I fought in the Civil War against the north. I was ambushed in the middle of the war and turned by a woman named Maria who saw potential in me to lead and organize her vampire army to fight in the territorial fights in Texas and Mexico. I knew nothing more than to sire vampires, train them, fight for territory and human blood, and then kill my vampires when they were not useful anymore, for the first fifty years of my life. That is where I got most of my scars. It was a wretched life and I really was a monster then. I was the stuff of nightmares, no conscience, regret or compassion. "I looked at her to see how she was taking this.

"Are you disgusted with my life? I can't feel you," I asked her because I could not feel anything from her.

"No. I am sorry. I am astonished. I never thought you to have that kind of past. It is all so different from the other Cullens. We were never allowed to talk before and you always kept yourself in the background. I knew that we were not supposed to interact with each other, but no one has ever told me anything about you. Only that you struggled with the diet," she sighed and sadness flowed softly through her.

"I cannot judge you for your actions, Jasper; I cannot give you my understanding or my disgust because I cannot understand what it was like to be you in that time and live in those conditions. How can I judge something that is so far away from all that I have lived? I believe though that we have to do all in our power to survive and that you must have led a hard life. I also believe that you did what you had to do to survive and to cope with your new life. I believe also that our most difficult experiences are the ones that shape us. So all I can say is that the past is long gone as is that life that you despised."

I looked at her in awe. She was not running away or screaming in disgust. She had not judged me. She had left that to me, to my conscience. I kissed her deeply conveying all of my love towards her in that one kiss. It was my thank you for her maturity and insight.

I continued telling her of our world, basking in her swirling emotions to what I was teaching her; awe, curiosity, joy, happiness, understanding, comprehension, longing, and always the underlining feelings of love for me.

"Tell me more."

I told her that Marcus had awakened as a vampire with all of his knowledge and powers as a High Druid intact and that he had felt the need to give to the immortals that roamed the world, that thought that they were soulless and cursed, a dimension of spirituality and the love of a God and Goddess. Soon his charisma, kindness and guidance were a beacon to other vampires and he became as revered as he was when human. He could see and interpret the bonds that connected all of the living creatures and he could use the knowledge that he had gathered as a High Druid in the Celtic culture to manipulate nature in a way that we could only name as magic.

"But Edward always said that vampires had no souls. He never said anything about a religion." I could feel her confusion.

"Edward knows nothing about the vampire world. He is stuck in his Victorian morality and high class upbringing and because of his gift he thinks he knows all there is to know. Carlisle never educated any of them, they are all as naïve as you honey. We are not soulless. We may be monsters and feed off of people, but that is our nature, we are predators. Do you blame a lion for killing a gazelle? We kill to live. We have been around for as long as there is mankind and we believe that we were created at the same time. Could it be possible that the God or Gods that created us have not given us a soul? Could he or she have created us just to hate us, to condemn us to hell when there is good in all of us as there is evil, just as in every other man. And we are capable of love, of compassion, of altruism, we can sacrifice ourselves for the greater good, and we can love in a way humans can only dream of. No Isabella, Edward is wrong. We are not soulless monsters and we are not demons. We are just a different kind of people."

"I never knew any of this, but I never believed that you were soulless," she said with tears in her eyes, maybe due to my passionate defense of my kind. "How can you be without a soul? When I saw the love that Carlisle and Esme share, or Emmet and Rosalie? I saw the good you can do when you protected me and my father from James. Or even here, Carmen does not know me and yet, I felt like she was really a mother taking care of me and I felt her love. No, your kind have souls. I am sure of it."

I kissed her before continuing, amazed once again at her understanding of things.

I told her how Marcus had become a father figure to me from the first day that I met him in the midst of a battle. Even though he and the Volturi guard destroyed all of my newborns, he took pity on me. He took me in for a few weeks while the guard chased the rest of Maria's army and taught me that there were other ways to live. That life didn't have to be only about war and blood and murder.

I told her how he had saved me from myself, how he had given me a purpose in life, how he had trained me and how he had loved me without expecting anything in return. I told her that after being with him, in a few months I left Maria's influence a few months later with the help of Peter and Charlotte and went with them to Volterra where I found a home and a family.

"He took me in without any expectations. I felt that I had found my place in the world and I pledged my loyalty and service to them and to him in particular, and I have never regretted it. They are my family as they have given me back my soul. He made sure that I knew and accepted that not only him, or the Volturi but that even their Gods loved me with all of their hearts and did not judge me. With him, with them, I felt that I was loved for the first time since my rebirth."

"You love him…"

"Yes. I see him as my father. I love and respect him as my father. He has always stood by me, he never left my side, and he has loved me unconditionally since then. There is nothing that I won't do for him. Not because I have to but because I want to, Isabella. He saved me, he brought light into my world and he gave me back my honor. I owe him everything, my mate."

"Will he like me?" She asked me shyly. I kissed her softly before answering.

"He will love you, Isabella. They all will. Not only because you are my mate but because you are you. You are your own person with your own valor. All you have to do for them to love you is to be true, to be yourself."

Our discussions were only cut off by her need to have frequent human moments and by Carmen barging into the room to give her quick showers – which she did not allow me to watch, damn the hag! – To give her food and to change her nightgown to make her feel more comfortable. She slept some hours, holding tight to me as I relished in the intimacy of being with her, in a bed, in our room, like a real couple. Being without her all of these days made me change, I could feel it in my bones. Made me more aware of how precious she is and of how much I need and want her.

I told her how our society turned around a religion that respected nature and the Earth and how we could connect to the ancestral energies of the planet thanks to Marcus's teachings. That it gave us a place in creation equal to all other creatures and that it assured us that we too were loved by the Gods, even if that thought of was a bit different from what she had known. I told her how that religion materializes in our everyday life by the means of the House of Women and their male counterpart, The House of Men.

"So you mean that you have also first fathers?"

"Of course! Marcus is a first father as well. Although their range of operation is a bit wider. They do meddle in politics and business, and they are always part of the council of each coven. They deal also with male matters as territorial fights, domination struggles, they handle punishments if asked and they lead trials, disputes between covens, etc."

"Are they present all over the world? I mean, is there a first mother and first father everywhere?" She asked in awe.

"No, my mate; only those who follow the Volturi law and ways have them, but it is not mandatory yet. Many covens do not follow the religion right now. My coven has a resident first mother but not a first father. I always defer to Marcus that position. I have one guard however that has been thinking about taking the job, Bastien. He was one of those who helped tracking you down and has already a great fondness towards you."

"I don't remember him." She said sadly making me kiss her to make her better.

"You will get to know him. He is outside with Peter enjoying the Denali girls. "Confusion at first was her main emotion, but when she looked at me I wiggled my eyebrows and as soon as understanding downed on her, her embarrassment skyrocketed mixed with a little bit of longing and arousal.

"Ah…hummm…by enjoying you mean…" _Ah, there she is, my shy mate_. I snuggled closer to her, minding her frail state and gently, I rubbed my straining cock against her leg making her gasp.

"Yes, enjoying. Although they are both bonded and mated, their mates sometimes allow them to enjoy other women. They are out there, in the snow, making love, enjoying themselves, fucking wildly the very willing girls of this coven." I lowered my voice to a husky whisper. "Like I would like to be doing to you my mate! I would like to devour you whole, lick every inch of your skin out there in the snow. Make you scream my name to the heavens and make every male know that you are mine and that no one stands a chance with you."

Her moan was my reward as she wrapped her undamaged hand in the back of my head to pull me towards hers in a scorching kiss. Is this the same girl that a few days ago did not want to show her naked self to me? That was ashamed of her body and sexuality? That had to ask permission for everything? That had absolutely no self-esteem?

To hell with the all the questions, let me enjoy this while it lasts.

_Yessss_….my beast purred in delight at my mate's attentions.

What started with a searing kiss turned into a heated make-out session, unfortunately all that her damaged body could stand for now, and it was all I could do to not claim her as mine, as she rested her head on my chest and fell into a deep sleep. Carefully I lowered her head to the pillows and I stood from the bed, trying to regain some control. I was so hard that I thought I could break through Eleazar's office door with my cock. I really need to turn her.

_Yes you do…think of all we can do when she is like us_, my beast happily growled not helping my predicament. I sat by the window watching the arctic night. I still could not feel anyone at home except for Eleazar and my personal watch dog. Peter must have Edward hidden somewhere to allow us some privacy. Thinking of Edward immediately darkened my mood. I still haven't got a clue about how I am going to tell my Isabella that her father is dead. It will break her. I saw the night give place to a new day while I mused about how much my life has changed since she surrendered to me.

A few hours later, a shower, a wild mushroom risotto and many toilet needs satisfied, we continued our talk.

"Why are you with the Cullens, if you are a Volturi and they are your family?"She asked after she was comfortably installed by my side. She was getting better. The pills that she took for the last two days had done what they were supposed to do and she was looking way better. Maybe tomorrow we could be on our way to Montana. I sighed.

"Isabella, what did you feel when you first saw us, the Cullens?" I carefully monitored her emotions. Embarrassment, lust and longing were the main ones.

"It was so strange. I thought you all to be so beautiful, but then I saw you and I got…hummmm…" She was bet red by now. I took pity on her.

"You got all wet, isn't it? You felt drawn to me and that confused you, no?"I said gently rubbing her nipple through the thin night gown.

"Yes,"she squeaked making me laugh.

"Me too, I felt something like that, only much more powerful. I knew immediately that you were my mate. I felt the mating pull, and your own mating pheromones drove me insane. I wanted you so bad, but I couldn't because that same day I knew that you were also my singer. Not only Edward's but mine also. I wanted you so much but I had to stay away to build immunity and to control the mating pull. I was on a mission with the Cullens and it was too soon to expose myself. Sort of an undercover mission, do you understand?" she nodded but I could feel her confusion and sadness.

"You were spying on them for the Volturi?"the confusion gave place to indignation.

"Yes. You have to understand something Isabella. The Cullen way of life is their choice but it is not a good choice if you interact with humans. They are permanently starved and in daily close contact with humans. They represent a huge risk of exposure and a liability for our race as they act like if they were on a mission to convert everyone to their choice of food. The Cullens have under the eye of several human organizations like the FBI and the NSA many times due to their contact with humans. They are careless, even if they thing that they are being cautious. Carlisle never changes his name, it is only natural that with the human advances in science that he and his family caught attention."I knew that what I was going to tell her would be hard for her to hear, but her faith in the Cullen's had to be destroyed.

"They were emulated by a coven in Russia and the result was carnage in a Siberian high school about 70 years ago. The Russian coven could not control the bloodlust and they were starved so it only took a single slip. After that it happened three more times in different locations around the world. All times the coven followed Carlisle's diet and teachings. It was up to us, the Volturi to clean up the mess and it was one of the most horrible things I ever did." I felt my mate start to shiver in revulsion and horror. The veil that the Cullen's had put on her eyes was being lifted, and the truth was coming out and it was not pretty. I hugged her closer to me until she calmed down a little.

"The Cullens and their ways had to be stopped before they could cause more damage. So I received the order to go meet Alice, make her a Volturi, pretend to be her mate and then infiltrate the coven. We both have been working in order to isolate them from other vampires and to destroy their influence with other covens, as any chance for them to realize that they were wrong has failed. Whenever someone wants to follow the diet I am in the position to stop them or at least in making them think hard about it, warning them of the consequences. I always offer a solution to the killing and tell them the truth. Not the idealized version that Carlisle believes."

"So, that is why there is only one other coven that drinks from animals! You have been manipulating everyone. All of them, their friends and possible allies. That is why you never seemed to fit in with the family. They welcomed you, they treated you like family." She told me, her tone accusing and her emotions turning to upset and disgusted.

"Yes I have been manipulating them. It is my job. It is my duty to protect my masters and my people from idealistic people like Carlisle, that refuse to see the truth. I had to burn the bodies of babies, Isabella. Babies! I had to burn some of them alive, because they were too far gone in the change to die normally. I had to throw pregnant women into the fire because they were changing Isabella; those who fed from them had believed them dead in their frenzy. You have no idea of the horrors that the Cullen diet unwillingly provoked and that I and the guard had to clean up!" I exploded, letting her go and stepping out of the bed, earning me a frightened yelp from my mate and a warning hiss from Carmen as I heard her step into the corridor. I took a deep breath to calm down.

"I am sorry Isabella. But you have to understand this. Carnages were made by many Cullen admirers, they never meant to do them, but once the beast is out it is hard to be controlled. I had to burn good, well meaning, decent vampires that were so full of shame for the innocent blood that they had shed that they couldn't live with the sorrow and the guilt anymore. Some were my friends; you can't know what it is like to have to kill someone you respect and like." I hung my head. The images and the screams of those missions burned in my mind forever. I wish I could forget them.

Her disgust and indignation was gone now, only staying the horrible realization of the truth. Sadness and sorrow were flowing from her. She really loved them. It pissed me off a little to be honest. She had no business in loving them. It was not as if they were going to be her family. After the trial, I doubted the Cullen coven would exist anyway.

It took her a while to digest what I had told her about the Cullens. I could see how hard it was for her to learn the truth. She had this romantic, idealized idea of good, compassionate, human, civilized vampires. They were not that, behind the human façade there was a vampire just waiting for the right stimuli to come out, it was as simple as that.

The animal diet could only be sustained if you did not have much close contact with humans, like the Denali's do and if you are very old in vampire terms. Any other way is just rubbish. The animal drinkers are permanently starved. They are physically weaker than the normal vampires and it is much more difficult to control their inner animal.

The Cullens could control themselves around humans, but barely, that is why all of them but Carlisle hardly interacted with the man and women around them. That is why they made no friends at school or participated in anything.

Carlisle was the main reason why they controlled themselves, the glue that kept them together and in control. No one wanted to let him down and they wanted to gain his admiration, so they worked together as a close knit group, always watching over each other.

Edward feared heavenly retribution and Carlisle's disappointment so much that he closed himself in a cocoon of self loathing, hate, presumption, loneliness, self righteous behavior and draconian control of all bodily urges. Emmet and Rosalie satisfied their bests with sex as a way to forget how pointless their lives were, trying hard to please Carlisle, to be worthy of him and of his example. Carlisle satisfied his undying and ever present guilt and remorse by burying himself in the job of saving human lives, constantly fighting his beast, keeping it in check. Esme lived for what Carlisle would want, wanting nothing more than to please and to be loved by all.

Well we all know now what can happen when one of their beasts comes out. We all had seen what the lack of education and their lack of information on the traditions of our race had done. My Isabella's father was one of its victims.

I did not try to influence my mate's emotions. I just let her deal with the truth in her own terms.

"I never thought, I never knew!" my mate whispered heartbrokenly.

"No one knows, however Carlisle is aware of these situations, as I informed him. He was mortified but he still tries to sell the thing, he believes that it is only a question of control. He did it to you, Isabella."

She nodded, raising her arms out to me, calling me to her. I complied and wrapped myself around her. I wanted her in my arms too.

"You and Alice are really not mates, it is so strange…you guys seemed so much in love." She stated a few moments later, jealousy seeping now from her.

"No, honey we are not mates. I already told you. We were never mates, my mate is you. I did, however, have to act as a mate did, and that meant…lots of sex, showings of affection, and the works. She wanted it and well 60 years is a long time for me to be without a good lay even if you are waiting for your mate. I am horny sugar. I am sure you have already noticed it. We only posed as such because of our mission. I really could not stand her, but I was ordered to go meet her, lure her into the Volturi guard because her gift is very valuable, and then I had to go with her to the Cullens and act mated for them not to suspect anything. But something went wrong somewhere along the way…she developed feelings for me and started believing that we were mates, no matter how much people told her that we were not, including me. I had to stay with the Cullens though and endure the charade because both Marcus and Peter told me that my mate would cross the Cullen's path in the future. I had to wait for you, Isabella."

"You were waiting for me?" She asked in a little voice, hope and love swirling from her like a tornado.

I kissed her, and then pulling away I leaned my forehead against hers and I looked deep into her eyes.

"I have been waiting for you since the day I was born. I was never whole, I was never complete. I have had many lovers, I have had sex with thousands of women and even some men, I even had some feelings towards some of them but I have never loved until I saw you. It was instantaneous. I love you, even if I won't say it often to you. I am not a sentimental man even if I am an empath. I am not perfect Isabella. I have many flaws. I heard you once say to Alice that Edward was the perfect man, with his Victorian manners. I am not like that Isabella. Many times I will be undeserving of you. I may do things that may hurt you and I will most certainly make many mistakes. I may be a complete jerk sometimes, and I may not always be kind and gentle, but you must realize that I will always love you with all of my soul and all of what has remained of my dead heart. There is no one else for me but you." I smelled her tears before seeing them. I was engulfed by such a wave of love and devotion that had I not being seated in front of her I would have swayed on my feet. I embraced her as tight as I could as she murmured over and over again between sobs.

"I love you…I love you…I have loved….I have loved you for so long…."

Oh…yes…that! I took her face between my hands and looked deep into her eyes.

"You, too, have some explaining to do, my mate." Immediately apprehension, shame, anxiety swept over her body. Damn this woman and her emotions. They were a roller coaster. She never learns. I had enough.

"I don't …"I did not let her finish. I could feel that whatever she was going to say was a lie as I picked up the building deceit in her emotions.

"Isabella, do not lie to me. Do not deceive me. I will punish you harshly if you do it. I have come clean with you. I have told you about my past and about my life. I have told you about the horrors that I have committed and I have opened my soul to you. There cannot be any secrets between us. I demand total and complete honesty and trust from you. You may be my mate but not even you are above of what I expect from the others. I only ask what I give back. We will be bonded and mated in a short while and you will be mine. Don't make me angry at you!"

"Calm yourself senõr. Give her time to explain!"I heard Carmen hiss, too low for Isabella to hear. I located her on the door outside our room.

"We are going hunting, but we will be back in two hours max. Remember the rules senõr."

_Hag…old hag_! She was not old. She and her mate had been changed when they were in their early forties.

Isabella had the decency of feeling ashamed of her behavior. It was times like this that I regretted that she was so young, only seventeen. Not a child anymore and not yet a woman. I felt her determination chase away her shame and embarrassment even before I heard her sigh.

"I am sorry. I don't know why I was going to lie to you. I trust you. When Edward took me away, when I was able to be conscious, between wishing for you to find me, I promised myself to be more mature, to make an effort to think more about things, and to trust you. I just…I am kind of ashamed of what I did. I did not mean to deceive no one. But…I could not help it anyway. I do not regret what I did even though I betrayed Alice and Edward." She looked at me and then lowered her eyes, pulling her lower lip between her teeth."

"Continue, please." She took another deep breath.

"I only had a crush on Edward. I used him to be near you. I don't know when it started, but by the time James hurt me in Phoenix I was already lost to Edward. It happened slowly and when I realized I was already so in love with you that it was too late to back down. But you were so out of my reach, always so distant from me that I decided to not show my feelings for you. I hid them well inside of me. I felt so guilty also, I was betraying Alice and Edward…I then decided that if I told the truth Edward would make you all leave and I could no longer be away from you. So…."

No way. This is impossible; there is no way that my sweet, innocent mate could have been this manipulative. How had I not seen this, or felt it?

"So…you pretended. You tricked everyone into believing that you loved Edward. I never noticed, you always felt so much love and care when you were in the house. I assumed it was for Edward and Alice."

"Yes, I pretended. I am not proud but I could not be without you. I don't know how I got away with it. Until last week… I am sorry for the deceit, but I was sure of my path. I would endure an eternity with Edward to be close to you, Jasper. If I had known how you felt."She whispered longing and love dancing inside her.

"Fuck…all this time I was manipulating Edward to drive you over the limit so that you could break up with him. I manipulated him into showing you the real Eddy boy. I wanted you to see me, to love me. I wanted you to come to me. I was driving myself crazy with the possibility that he could claim you before I could. And all this time you wanted me, not him. Fuck…but you understand why I backed out in the beginning don't you? I could not even touch your skin…or else the mating would begin immediately. I had to stay away from you. And then suddenly everyone was blabbering about Edward's mate and that you were his. I wanted to kill them all, but a good friend advised me to wait. He told me that the boy would be useful, and he was. He unwillingly made it so that the venom that will change you will be mine."

"Yes Jasper. You were building your immunity to my blood. You had your mission. You had your duty. I understand. And I am glad you decided to step in and act when you did, because I was on my last straw. But I have to be honest Jasper. I am seventeen. I am a teenager. I tried several times to …umm…you know…with Edward. But he refused me all the time. I just…felt so on edge…every time I left your house after seeing you that I needed to…you know?" She was beet red and so embarrassed, that I had to laugh.

"I know. You were feeling the mating pull and wanted release. I felt it all the time too, your pheromones drove me insane with want, they called me like a beacon and it was hard to block both Edward's and Alice's gifts, but I had Alice to give me release. You wanted a male to give it you. I am glad that I made Edward basically a eunuch, or else I would kill him for claiming you, and I would punish severally you for giving him what was mine to take."

"I am glad I saved myself for you. I am glad I will be able to give you all that I have." And then she kissed me and all was lost. All the stress and want, and need to be with her just took over me. Faintly I scanned the house and saw that we were alone. Good.

In a second I had ripped her nightgown and panties. I took in her body that was slowly healing. Her arousal was so strong in the air that I thought that I was going to combust. I had to taste her now.

I pulled out my shirt and sweats as I lowered myself down her body. I licked a trail down her neck, between her breasts, before taking one into my mouth suckling on it and playing with it driving her insane. As she started to arch her body from the bed and to grab handfuls of sheets. I stopped to look at her.

"Your body is still sore. I will pleasure you but you must not move my mate!"

She was panting and moaning, but ceased her movements. I licked under her belly button, going down.

"Open for me, mate. Let me make you feel good."

"Carmen…" she moaned.

"We are alone…open my mate. Let me taste you." I needed her now; I had to take advantage of our solitude. It was strange to feel this but it was such a turn on. My tongue was almost aching for her.

She obeyed me and I was met with her wonderful heaven. I wasted no time and took all she had to offer to me. Her moans of pleasure only served to make me greedier, and as I licked and sucked her of her juices. I had missed this. I only had her once as mine in this way and I wanted more. As usual my beast was screaming at me to take her. To conquer her completely; to bite her and finish the change, so that she could never again be taken away from me. She was mine and I made sure to once again put inside of her as much _aqua di amori_ as I could. Carmen would notice but..._oh hell…she could rant all she wanted. It was her that left us alone, and Isabella is MINE._ As soon as my finger entered her she exploded in my mouth. I greedily took all that she gave me as I licked her down from her high.

I positioned myself above her body and, taking the weight of my body upon my arms, I looked at her. Lips swollen. Eyes half lidded. Face and body flushed, erect nipples. Heart beating wildly. A vision of beauty.

I slowly kissed her letting her taste herself on my lips and tongue.

"You are wonderful my mate." I could feel her warring against herself and then again the determination and anxiety.

"Can I…um…do the same to you?"

If I wasn't dead I would have died now. A man's dream…one of my most recurrent fantasies…this little question. I wanted so much to say yes. But I can't. I don't know the effects of my venomous sperm on her.

"Oh, my mate. I want that badly too, but I am not sure if your body can take my sperm without starting your change. And I would like for you to swallow. Maybe another time. But thank you, sugar."

She smiled at me and I felt her drift off to sleep. I picked up my shirt and put it on her, the smell of both our arousals was heavy in the room but I could not open the windows.

A little while later I felt Carmen and Eleazar return. I needed to hunt too. Even though I can control myself around my mate, it still takes a lot out of me.

Carmen came into the room a few minutes later, already cleaned up from her hunt. She stopped by the door and I heard her inhale deeply. _Oopssss_…I grinned at her.

"Senõr…I hope you have done no damage to my charge." Disapproval and resignation were flowing from her.

"We were only loving each other, Carmen. It has been a while since we were able to do it. I have respected her. No damage was done and I was careful. I promise. Now I need to go hunting. something. I will be back soon." She just nodded while she searched for a new set of clothes for my mate.

"Carmen. I need to tell her about her father. I…don't know how to do it. She has been through so much and now this. It will break her." It worried me her reaction, as I did not wanted to cause her any more pain.

Carmen came to stand in front of me and took one of my hands.

"It will cause her pain. But she will move through the pain, and through the sorrow, and she will come out stronger in the end. You can tell her how he died a proud man and how his last thoughts were for her. You can tell her that we will be here for her and that he will never be truly dead as long as he is remembered with love. Now go hunt."

I sent her a wave of gratitude and I skipped out of the window into the snow.

A few hours later and a pack of wolves drained – I did not want to stray too far away from the house – I went back. Outside the door, a fresh set of clothes awaited me and I followed the path to our room.

My mate was awake, the remainders of her latest meal on the small table by the window. She was standing, changed into some shorts and a sweat shirt looking outside of the window. She was feeling excited.

"Hello sweet pie, how are you feeling?" She immediately turned and walked in my direction a huge smile on her face. I walked towards her and wrapped my arms around her, kissing her soundly.

"Jasper, I was thinking. Now that I am better I would like to talk to my father. It has been so long. I want to tell him all is well. He is going to freak out, but we need to convince him to not prosecute Edward." It was breaking my heart that I had to shatter the happiness and hope that she was feeling. I felt the apprehension of Carmen and Eleazar and knew that they would be ready. I took a deep breath and stilled myself for the onslaught of emotions that I would soon be feeling.

"Bella we need to talk about your father. I have to tell you something. I should have told you before but you were so sick and we did not want to put another burden on your shoulders."

"What are you saying, Jasper?" Her emotions just made a complete turnaround towards fear, anxiety and apprehension.

"Isabella, your father…when I arrived he was badly wounded. He was bleeding internally. I called Rose and an ambulance, and did all I could which wasn't much but to make him comfortable…I am sorry."

"No…no Jasper please…don't say it to me…please…he is my dad Jasper." She was sobbing, imploring me for a lie, panic and sorrow hitting me from all sides by now and it was breaking my heart, but this will had to be done.

"I am sorry baby. I am so sorry. He died on his way to the hospital. His last words were for you. That he loved you. I was with him and he was so brave. He did not die alone…He asked me to help you, to take care of you…" I could not finish. Her emotions overwhelmed her and she just fell limp into my arms.

A/n – So…did you like it?

Did Jasper explain his world as he should? How about the Cullens?

Tell me your thoughts, I'd love to hear them.


	29. Chapter 29

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to every one of you that **reads **and **reviews **my story.

**mama4dukes has taken over as my beta in this story, you all know who she is so, go give her stories some love.** Savagegracex and letsjustdance are my pre readers. Thank you for their help.

**The amazing LunarEclispe1 made two fantastic banners to my other stories, and she is working on the banner for The Warlord. They are on my profile. Go check them, and then go and check her stories. She is very, very GOOD!**

**And I would not have those banners if ****abbymickey24**** had not recommended the fantastic banner maker. So, to you darling my thanks. And those of you that are reading this go and check her work too. She knows her stuff and writes some of the best stories in here.**

Chapter 29

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

"No one reassembles the bastard! Not while my mate is in that state!" I roared to the two members of my guard in front of me, who took a step down, unwilling to meet my fury. My roar echoed throughout the walls of the War Room, and bounced around the vast cave that worked as the headquarters of the Whitlock House. The idiots had come to me - while I worked with the members of my inner circle, drawing out a strategy to bend to the new order and power. Several rogue covens in Nicaragua, Honduras and Paraguay are involved in a territorial war. They were asking if they could reattach Edward's arms to his body; saying that Edward was in too much pain, and that even the human blood was not managing to give him the strength that he needed and that he was slowly fading away. As if I could give a shit about his suffering. What about my mate's suffering?

Twenty five fucking days! Twenty five fucking days of watching my woman's dead eyes. Twenty five days of feeling her sorrow, her regret, her misery because of him. Almost a month of doing everything in my power to coach her out of it with no results; of sending my love and my comfort to her; of seeing her non-responsive even to the care of her mate. Twenty five days of feeling her heartbreak and pain. A month of feeling completely helpless. This was not a physical wound that had afflicted her; this was not something that my aqua di amori - that I have religiously been storing into hermetic containers - could help.

No, this was not a wound of the body. This was a wound of the soul. My mate's soul and mind were trapped in a huge bubble of pain and grief.

I was slowly going insane. I had to get her out of it but I couldn't, she had sunk within herself and what was left, was only a shell with the semblance of a person. Carlisle and Eleazar's opinion was to give her time to heal. Yes, in my despair I even called Carlisle. That last three week's events had been too traumatic – being kidnapped, drugged, kept in subhuman conditions, and abused by someone she had once trusted. Learning about the death of her father had been the final straw on her already frail state of mind and she had finally shut down. Everyone told me that her brain needed time to come to terms with all that had happened and that I had to leave her be, to give her time; and I did that, what else could I do?

That night, after I broke the news of her father's death, I took her to bed and I waited for her to regain consciousness, giving her body and mind time to adjust. She slept for hours indifferent to night or day, and when she finally woke up, she was not there anymore. She ate little, slept a lot and spoke to no one. Bastien went into a rage at her behavior and managed to land a few good kicks to Edward's prone body before Demetri and Peter got to him. All my mate could say was, _no_, _no_, _it is not true_. _What a sick joke you guys are playing on me._ _If you love me_…_please let me talk to my father_. She just could not believe it.

We could not do what she was asking, but I managed to get a copy of Forks newspaper with the story of hers and her father's death and gave it to her. The shock was so big that I thought that she was going to be the death of me. The anger and the despair that she felt a few moments later was so great that I had to get out of the house and give her to Carmen and to the girls lest I killed someone. When I got back, the room was destroyed and she was almost comatose. Her depression started that day and she seemed to have lost the will to live. I knew what was going on as did Carmen, Peter and Eleazar. She was grieving.

Finally, three days later, I could not postpone anymore going to Montana anymore. Everything was ready and just waiting on my approval to become operational. We had my announcement ceremony scheduled for September and we had problems arising in South America. I needed to get to work. As much as I wanted her to be well and in a stress free environment, I had my responsibilities, and I would not leave her in the care of another coven. She belonged to me and she would stay by my side. I never left anyone behind, much less my own mate.

I told Isabella the news of our move trying to interest her in something more than her depression or her loss. I told her about our house in Montana, a comfortable rustic home with four bedrooms, built on the shore of the blue ice cold lake that was on our private land. The lake, named, the Cristal Lake, by the guard, due to its clear, crystalline waters, was fed by the streams and rivers that came down the mountains that housed my headquarters.

I had designed our house with all the commodities of a modern home while thinking of her in there. I told her that for the human world, we were acting as a private consortium of ecologists and protectors of wild life, and that we had built on the surface, one of the most advanced research and preservation centers in the world, which was true. A part of the Whitlock House was indeed working for the preservation of animals like tigers, panthers, lynx, cougars, mountain lions and other big felines. As we worked to preserve endangered species we had all kinds of wild animals in place. So, the 'Montana Wild Life Reservation for Preservation of Menaced Species' was in truth the cover up and the headquarters of the Whitlock House.

I told her that I had built an immense library in the main research compound, situated on the other side of the lake. The library was equipped with all the most modern technologies, and filled with all kinds of literature in all languages known to man, and that I needed someone, hinting her, to take care and organize that space.

I told her with pride that everything that pertained to the vampire world and with the Whitlock House: the training grounds of newborns and rookies in the guard, the headquarters, the private quarters of the guards who were not mated, the mess hall – where we served the donated human blood that our blood banks recovered, to feed those who did not want or could not hunt in the traditional way, and the War Room were subterranean, and that we had used a vast and complex cave system in the mountains and turned it into a fortress that is therefore, almost invulnerable to attack.

I described to her the great ceremonial temple that acted, depending on the venue, as church, court house, and auditorium, that I had build deep in the forest facing our house, on the other side of the lake along with the quarters of the House of Women and House of Men facing it.

I told her, while holding her in my arms, that we were moving in together and that it was the start of our eternity together and how happy that made me. Me and her, my consort. The Lord and Lady of the Whitlock House. This was the culmination of my effort, my commitment, my loyalty, and my ambition. I told her that only having her by my side made everything taste of victory, that only her as my mate gave meaning to what I had accomplished.

But all to no avail. Only those lonely, sad, dead, red rimmed eyes, looked back at me with so much gut-wrenching pain and emptiness.

As the news of our impending move did nothing for my mate I just had to take the reins of the situation. I ordered Demetri and Bastien to prepare the jet that was already waiting in Anchorage. Peter took Edward to the plane and locked him in with the cargo; I did not want that miserable creature near my woman. Peter had gone to great lengths to keep him out of my sight during this time, because the idiot still let his mouth run, claiming that he was the one that could help Isabella and that he did not know that Charlie had been hurt badly. I sent the Denali girls to buy some comfortable clothes and shoes for my mate, and in a few hours we were ready. We left Alaska, leaving behind a worried coven and first mother, all promising to come to Montana for my announcement ceremony in September.

Settling in Montana did not help my mate. Even though the landscape was amazing, and we had had a royal greeting, with everyone, guards and servants, waiting outside the plane to meet her, she was not roused from her depression. Charlotte and Alexis immediately took it upon themselves to help her get settled and to try to help her get better. They were thrilled to finally have her with them.

I forbade any contact between Isabella and the remaining Cullen's that were being held in one of the guest houses on the far end of the valley, awaiting their trial, under the watchful eyes of my guard. Marcus had returned to Italy with Alice, taking the remaining Volturi members with him, to solve some problems with my Warlord brother and Africa's governor, N'Gahlo, who was having big trouble with a several groups of sorcerers that were manipulating native tribes all over the central part of the continent to hunt down and kill any nomad vampires that crossed their paths, and was in need of counseling and help. His house was not ready to take over and govern yet. Demetri followed suit as soon as we got down there. But Marcus and the rest of the Masters would be back in September for my ceremony and for the Cullen's trial.

I showed Isabella our house and the grounds and she did not even blink. It broke my dead heart even more to see her so non-responsive to everything and everyone. Not even Charlotte's motherly care and Alexis easy going and kind nature managed to get to her. She entered our room and just lay down on the bed, closing her eyes trying to sleep. Seeing her state of mind, I decided that it would impossible to leave her alone when I was at work.

We, in the Whitlock House tried as much as possible to give the mated couples space. So each mated couple, who belonged to the Whitlock House, had their own small but comfortable houses scattered around the immense property. But knowing how thin I had to stretch myself for the foreseen future, between my duty as governor and my obligations, both Peter and Bastien moved into the main house with their mates. Both females would take care of Isabella and once she stopped her mourning they would take care of her education and training. But they too were feeling helpless, and Alexis had come by earlier in the morning to tell me that Isabella did not want to eat.

_Show her who is in charge. Let her mourn, but mourn alive, not like this_, my beast growled at me.

I kept working with my inner circle, my top advisers drawing a strategy to stop the rebels, but I had most of my focus on Isabella. I was lost at what to do with her.

"You may go; we will reconvene at 17.00 to study the latest Intelligence reports that your undercover agent has sent." I dismissed my inner circle and got up the stairs heading for the surface.

I went through the spacious training room where a group of ten rookie guards were being instructed in Kung-Fu defense moves by Draco, my fighting instructor, one of the most complete warriors that I knew of and a mean bastard in battle. I stood there for a few minutes watching them. This Greek Adonis had saved my neck a few times already. He was one of the most beautiful men I have ever put my eyes on, and he had an aura of sex and power around him that made everyone just want to fuck him. Eleazar had deemed him to be a part incubus as he had a past similar to the Denali sisters.

He had taken complete advantage of his looks and of his ability in his 900 years alive – he had shared my bed one steamy night - until he mated unexpectedly with a kind and sweet Spanish fisherman much older than him that was supposed to be his lunch. He had turned his Antonio ten years ago, and they had invited me to their binding ceremony. They lived in one of the houses on the main grounds. Antonio had no gifts and behaved much like a woman is supposed to behave in our world. Their couple was a model of happiness and love. It always left me feeling all giddy with the feelings that they had for one another. I took the elevator and arrived at the main hall at the surface.

I went to the window and looked down to my domain. I should be reveling in my power, but all I felt was emptiness. Isabella was not here to share it with me.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. Charlotte. Concern and determination flowing from her. My house's first mother. My sister in all but blood.

"You have to come to the house. She does not want to get up, Jasper. This is going too far. She seems to want to die, to give up. She does not eat, or speak, and we have been obliged to bathing her. I think you need to take harsher measures, as much as that pains me to tell you that. She must shake that depression for the healing process to begin and you have to take charge now. I have done all that I can and know but I can't get through to her." Motherly feelings of worry and unease hit me like waves on a rocky shore coming from the first mother of my coven.

I felt something snap in me. The anger that I had been struggling to contain just rose in me and I growled as I lost control of it. I will not have a mate trying to give up life as a cowardly way to flee her problems.

I ran straight to the house, only to be stopped at the door of our bedroom by a very protective and scared Alexis.

"Sir, you must calm yourself, she is not…." I just grabbed her by the neck and removed her from the door. I walked in and as expected my Isabella was huddled in the bed in the dark room, no lights inside. This is going to end today!

"Get up Isabella. Now!" She just looked at me before sniffing and huddling further into the covers.

All semblance of control that I had was gone. In three strides I was by the windows ripping the heavy drapes off and flooding the room with light. She just closed her eyes and hid further under the covers.

"Get out of there. It has been a month and you have done nothing but be miserable and wallowing in self pity. You are not mourning, you are giving up life. You feel alone in your pain and despair and you don't even take the time to see that everybody in here is trying to help you. You are being a selfish bitch, my mate, and that ends today. I won't allow you to waste away; I will not allow you to dishonor your father's memory." I ripped the covers from her body and in a split second I had her in my arms. She just stayed limp, shock the only emotion floating from her. I went down the stairs, passed the sitting room where Charlotte, Peter, Alexis and Bastien were gathered and left the house. They knew better than to cross me now.

I crossed our front lawn and went to the small pier on the left in a heartbeat. Not a move or a sound came from my mate as I walked to the end of the pier. I looked down at her. Her eyes were closed to block the still bright sun, and tears flowing freely from them. The emptiness in her emotions just killed me.

"This ends today Isabella! You mean too much to me for me to allow you to hurt yourself like this!"

And with that statement I just dropped her in the icy blue waters of the lake, jumping in after her a few seconds later. She came to the surface coughing and spluttering and I held her to me as she screamed. It was like a dam being open.

"You are alive, Isabella. You are alive and I need you. Come back to me my love. Don't do this to us." I whispered in her ear.

All the pain, the hatred – which I never thought she could feel – the anger, the grief and the sorrow burst from her. She clutched to my body impossibly tight as I swam with her in my arms to the shore where Charlotte was waiting with a fluffy towel. I wrapped her in it and held her to me as she screamed her pain.

I shut down the panicky feelings coming from the house and concentrated on her.

"Shhh…it is alright...scream my mate…scream that pain away until your voice hurts…yes, scream…let go…let it all out…" and she did, she screamed and cried and begged as I rocked her , until she was a quivering, sobbing and panting mess with no more tears to cry.

"I will take charge of the meeting with Bastien and the guard. Stay with her."Peter said quietly walking from the house and stooping a few feet away. I could not leave her now, so I nodded.

I continued to hold her as her body shook with sobs and as she started the healing process. A quick assessment of her emotions told me that while the grief and sorrow were still dominant, there was also relief and although the pain was still almost overwhelming, there was resignation in there too. It would take some time but she would be fine now.

I felt her emotions quiet down and realized that she had cried herself to sleep.

"Charlotte, I am going to put her to bed."

"Do you need my help?"

"No, I am just going to dry her off and put her in bed. Later I will try to make her eat something." She nodded and walked off, stopping by the entrance door.

"Jasper, I know you to be a gentleman. I know how your mama raised you. I know how much you want to claim her, how long you have waited. But you can't now, she must heal first…" I rolled my eyes at her insinuation, took a deep breath and interrupted her.

"Charlotte, I know this is your first mother instinct talking so I will let it slide. I will tell you this only once. I won't take advantage of my mate's weak condition. I won't claim her until she is ready for it, and I will do it by the book. Just…let me feel her, touch her skin, cuddle with her. I need that today." She looked at me thoughtfully for a moment and walked out, sending me her acceptance. I was thankful that she was much younger than Carmen in both biological and vampire age, and that her morals were a bit more tolerant. She was a lot easier on the eye too!

"I will look away this time, but you better behave Jasper Whitlock." Her voice drifted through the corridor.

Carefully I took my mate to our bedroom, taking off her wet pajamas and underwear, drying her body and hair before laying her down naked on the bed, covering her with the blankets. I took off my wet clothes, dried myself quickly and joined her, pulling her into my arms. I needed to feel her soft warm body against my own even if only for a few minutes. The room was warm, the heat working at maximum and my mate did not shiver when I held her tightly. It made my heart soar when she even snuggled closer to me.

I held my mate for hours. She slept steadily throughout the night well wrapped in thick blankets, and snuggled into me. In the early morning she woke up and looked at me, tears falling from her eyes. I kept silent, and just held her as she mourned. I could finally breathe when I felt that the numbness that she had been feeling for so many days was gone, leaving in its place the sorrow and the grief mingled with acceptance and resignation. And guilt, so much guilt! I was expecting it and I would deal with it once she was feeling less overwhelmed. She had come back to me.

"I am sorry…" her voice was raspy and it was almost a whisper. These were her first coherent, deliberate words in almost a month. I smiled softly at her and kissed her forehead, reveling in the sigh that left her at my gesture.

"It is okay, my mate. You are suffering. You are in pain. I am sorry for what I did but I had to shake you out of it, Isabella. You may grieve and mourn your father, but not by shutting yourself off from life, not by wallowing in misery and being consumed by your pain. You need o react, grieve, mourn and move on."

"It was my fault…If I had not allowed Edward in my life Charlie would be alive…"She was crying now overwhelmed with her regret and guilt. That was going to stop now.

"No, stop that. How can this be your fault? It is many people's fault, even mine, but it is not yours. You had no idea of how fucked up Edward and the Cullen's were. Were you supposed to stop Edward? Could you? You are not responsible for his immature and ignorant mind. You are not guilty of his lack of respect for others. As sad as it is the world does not revolve around you, you are not the cause or the center of everything for you to take the blame, or be the cause of everything bad that happens. You were almost unconscious when this happened. If you want to blame someone, put the blame on the right people."

"But he died, Jasper…he died…I never got to say goodbye…or to say that I loved him…and now…"Her sobs pained me but they helped her. I just held her more to me as I kissed each tear that flew from her eyes.

"I know it is sad, and you will never forget him, but you must honor him and move on with your life. Remember him Isabella. Remember the strong, kind and good man that he was. Celebrate the great man that he was by living your life to the fullest. He was loved by everyone and he loved you, his only daughter more than life itself. He handed you to me, Isabella with his last words. He asked me to take care of you and I will honor that promise to him. You are mine and I will never let you go."

She just held me tighter and cried into my chest some more. She fell asleep half an hour later absolutely exhausted.

I heard a knock on the door and I smelled Charlotte.

"Enter."

She was relieved and a small wave of happiness flew from her. She was happy that I had my mate and that she was finally on her way to get better. She looked at Isabella with a found smile in her lips and then at me.

"Jasper, thank you. She needed this. She needed you to wake her up to life. Maybe you can get her to take a bath; it would be good for her. After her bath you could try to make her eat something. It is good to see her reacting; I believe that she will be alright now." I nodded, smiling at her and her worry for my mate. She steeped further into the bedroom speaking quietly.

"You know, Jasper, I remember when I lost my father, a few days before you found and change me; it is one of my strongest memories, the pain, the sorrow, the loneliness. I had no one else but him and I felt so lost. It did not help me that he had killed himself working in the fields for me to have money and a good life. I was so overwhelmed with guilt when you found me. I did not even know that he was so sick, until the doctor said that there was nothing he could do. I believe that it is how she feels now, that she could have done things differently." I nodded again and sent her my sympathy. I had been drawn to her guilt, sorrow and regret that night when I changed her. They were so strong, that she managed to awaken pity in me for her suffering. I entered her house and almost drank her down before deciding to give her a new life. I have never regretted that decision and neither did she.

"She did not only lose her father, Jasper. She lost her mother and her friends too. She loves and knows you, but this is all new to her. She even knows that she cannot trust the Cullen's anymore, and she saw them as family. She will need closure from that life to be able to start again." She looked at my mate fondly, like we would look at a small child, protectiveness and love radiating from her.

"We were talking last night while she slept, and thought that maybe you could suggest visiting her father's grave in Forks. We can arrange it with the wolves. It will give her the chance to say goodbye. She won't be able to interact with anybody else, but at least she can say goodbye to her old life." It was a good idea. Even though we had faked her death, with the wolves help, she could be protected and be with her father's friends and say goodbye.

"Very well. It is a good idea. I will speak to her about it. We could go before my investiture." She nodded thoughtfully before continuing.

"We also have the bag with the mementos that we took from her house; you can give it to her. It may help her to have some of her things back. We collected some of her clothes, shoes, books, pictures, Cd's and childhood video tapes. It will be a great help to her to have things that are familiar to her."She came closer and gently smoothed some of my Isabella's hair, a small smile playing on her face as she looked at me.

"It is good to see her here; we have waited so long for her. We will all help her and she will be fine." She kissed my forehead and floated out of the room. Somehow her words managed to bring some peace and calm to my soul as they always did. Sometimes it was so difficult to go on.

Isabella slept almost all of the morning. At about 11.00 am she started to wake up. She stayed silent for a while, but her eyes remained dry. The sadness and the grief were still there, as were the determination and resignation. I decided it would be good to start now.

"Good morning, my Isabella. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know." She sighed deeply." It feels good to not be in that empty dark place anymore, but it hurts much more now. It hurts so much Jasper."I felt my chest wet with her tears, and was all I could do to not go to Edward, forgetting my job and honor to kill him on sight.

I felt it before she opened her mouth. Hate. Rage. Hatred. Need for revenge.

"I want to know. I need to know Jasper. How did he die? When? Why?"

"Isabella…"

"No. Don't sugar coat things for me please. He was MY father. He tried to protect ME. I need to know the truth. I deserve to know the truth, no matter how much it hurts me. I can deal with it now. Don't deny me this, please Jasper." I sighed, she was right. Had it been the opposite I would want to know. I took a moment to look at her. Really look at her. In my arms laid a woman. Not the childish, shy, unsure teenager that mere merely a month ago had been ashamed of letting me know that she loved me. The hardships of the last weeks had matured her.

_Tell her! She needs to know so that she can come to terms with it. We will be here for our mate_! My beast purred.

"Okay. But first you need to take a bath and eat. Then we will talk and I will let you know all that we learned. Is that good?" She looked at me as if she was about to protest but then she closed her mouth and nodded. Good!

I got her up and walked with her in my arms towards the shower. I turned the water and slowly, with all of my love and care I washed my mate. It was good to see that she did not object, or shy away from me. I think she was slowly losing her shame around me and getting used to being naked in my presence. It took all that I had to control my thoughts and my body around her but I managed it.

I heard Charlotte approach the door of the bedroom room while I was drying Isabella.

"I will leave her food here in the cart. We will be downstairs in case you need us."

"Thanks honey."

"Please need me, brother!" I heard Peter's guffaw's from downstairs making me chuckle at his antics. He too had been worried and sad at my mate's condition.

Suddenly I felt a huge wave of irritation. I looked at my mate to see her frowning at me.

"I am right here you know! I am tired of you guys talking behind my back and treating me as if I am useless." She spat. My eyebrows shot up. _What did I do?_

I swallowed the wave of anger at the way and tone she used when speaking to me and took a deep breath, she was emotionally a wreck, and I had to be patient for now.

"I am aware that you are here. And I was not talking behind your back. I was thanking Charlotte for the food she has just left outside our room because she did not want to disturb us. The rest of my friends and family is downstairs. We are vampires in here Isabella. We do not behave like the Cullen's and their pretenses of being human. So, we will sometimes speak at our normal speed and we will walk at our normal speed. You will have to get used to it."

"As for treating you as if you were useless, you are wrong. You were bed ridden until a few hours ago and you have not been eating properly for the last few weeks. We all like to take care of you, and we thought that you liked it too, but if you do not want it I will let you be. I just would like to ask you to not to speak to me in that tone. I have done nothing to deserve it." I shot her a small burst of hurt and sadness, turned my back on her, and walked out, leaving her in the alone in the bathroom.

I heard her gasp and felt her immediate regret, followed by panic and guilt. I smirked at her reaction.

_It never fails._

"Jasper…wait…I…" I turned towards her, keeping my face blank.

"I am sorry. I just feel all over the place. I should not be lashing out on you. Forgive me." I opened my arms and she launched herself into them, wrapping herself around me tightly. The fact that she was naked and I had been without sex for a while did not help me to keep my cool.

"It is okay, I understand. Just remember that I am not the enemy in here. Now dress up and eat. Then we will go to the lake and sit there. Afterwards, you will get to meet Peter, Bastien, Charlotte and Alexis. They are anxious to meet you, now that you are feeling better."

I felt her small wave of fear and panic, but it was gone in a second and she just nodded. I went to get the cart that her food was in and placed it by the table near the balcony door.

She walked to our closet and put on a deep green sweat shirt and black jeans. She put on some black sneakers and sat by the table, served herself and started eating. It was some kind of vegetable soup with what it seemed chunks of meat in it. As complement she had bread as well as some kind of cheese. The smell was foul so I decided to take my shower and get dressed.

When I got out of the shower, my towel wrapped around my waist she had finished her meal and was on the balcony looking into the distance, sadness wrapping her like a shroud. She heard me and turned around. The lust that burst from her at the sight of my body stroked my ego. She raked her eyes all over me until she heard my chuckle. She blushed furiously and lowered her eyes, embarrassed.

I walked towards her and wrapped my arms around her.

"It is okay to lust and to ogle me, my mate. My body is yours. You have every right to do it. Don't be embarrassed. It feels so good to know that you want me as bad as I want you. Don't hide that from me, sweetie." I kissed her neck, and pecked her lips twice. I knew that she was not ready for much more, so I turned to go get dressed.

When I finished dressing, I walked towards her and, pulling her into my arms, I jumped from the balcony to the grass, earning me a squeal from my mate and the delicious wild drumming from her heart. I snorted when I heard a muttered _'damn vampires, always showing off!'_

I ran to the colonial swing that I had installed in the front lawn, facing the lake and the mountains and sat her in it. The garden side table had been set, and a jar of freshly made ice tea was there. There were also a plate of biscuits and a glass. _Charlotte or Alexis_!

She made herself comfortable and I felt the calm and peace that rocking on the small swing gave her. I left her alone with her thoughts while I installed myself on an armchair that was near the swing.

She looked at me with her doe eyes and her jaw locked. Expectation and determination swirling from her.

Here we go!

"You have the right to know Isabella. But you must understand that I am not privy to all information yet. Peter and Charlotte managed to get some things out of him though. Only once Master Aro gets here is when we will have the entire story, as he will scan all of his thought and memories with his gift. I already told you of what my relationship with Alice was. You know also that Alice had a mission to pretend to be mated to me to better fit in the coven. She always was a devious little thing, but she decided somewhere along the line that I was really her mate, even though she knew that I was meant for another. She had a vision on that weekend that pushed her over the edge, and she decided to take matters into her own hands to separate us. All I know is that Edward was manipulated by Alice into thinking that you were in danger." I heard her sharp intake of breath at this news. A small burst of hurt flowed from her. She had considered Alice her friend. I continued.

"You know that Edward has a hero complex. He wanted to save you from the evil monsters and from the demon, represented by me. He realized that Alice and I were not mates, and that I had my eyes on you. He went insane when he smelled me on your body because of the aqua di amori, but he did not understand what it was, he has never smelled the mating scent of a male vampire. The Cullen's always went away to mate and he was never taught of what it was. He is a spoiled, arrogant, ignorant boy that due to his upbringing as a human and his gift, thinks he is better and knows better than anyone. Carlisle never educated his coven on the ways of the vampire race and Edward developed a superiority complex and a complete disregard for the opinion of others." She was nodding, agreeing with my assessment of Edward.

"He sees himself as a savior, a hero, as a pillar of strength in the coven and of a morality above anyone else. He loathes what he is and this life with a passion, as does Carlisle. He wanted you perfect and pure and submissive, and could not think of you with anyone else. It is not you that he loves, you must understand this. He loves your blood – he said several times in the last weeks that your blood had been tainted, spoiled by a foul smell."She nodded.

"Yes, I remember him saying things like that to me when we were in the cave. He could not stand my smell. He…oh my god…I wasn't conscious but I felt it…he…he washed me…"Horror engulfed her as she remembered.

"Shhhh…it is okay…he only washed you. He did nothing else…he will pay for everything he did to you. You will get your revenge."I manipulated her emotions and managed to calm her down after a few minutes. Loathing and hate were her main emotions. I decided to not tell her about the pictures on his phone. She will know about them later. As she calmed herself down, I continued speaking.

"You have to understand that he sees you as a puzzle. He never met a human who was silent to him before. In his head, your blood is in your body and it is what makes you special, so all of it is his as you are. He believes with all of his soul that you are his, and he fancies himself in love with you. He believes that you are his property. Do you understand?"

She was looking at me a frown in her face. The rage, loathing, anger, hatred increasing and fuelling my own.

"So, you mean that he thinks of me as a thing? As a bag of blood made for him by God, that he managed to come across and that he can't let go?" She was feeling a bit sick at the thought.

"Exactly! When your father tried to stop him from '_saving you from the demon'_, he did not care that he was your father. He just wouldn't allow anyone to thwart his plans and take you from him. So your father became an enemy and a victim. Edward was always allowed to do everything and was always forgiven – remember that he is the golden boy of the Cullen's. Even if he is only seventeen, he is very good at manipulating Carlisle and almost rules the coven - he thought that there would be no consequences of his actions, that he would be forgiven because he was saving you by taking you away. He did not even think that your father could be badly hurt or dead because of what he did. It was of no consequence to him because he already had what he wanted. He has never faced consequences for anything before, Isabella. Carlisle is much to blame here as Edward is." The tears were washing down her face as she pulled her eyebrows together frowning.

"I saw my father advance on him with the gun, because he would not let me go. He barged into the house when we were beginning our breakfast and he seemed maniacal. He wouldn't leave, even when I tried to explain. He was hurting me, grabbing me, and he just threw my father through the air and he fell. I saw him hit the base of the stairs and stay there unmoving, Jasper. The rest is a blur. I would wake up from time to time, and try to talk to him but he did not listen. He was completely delusional, but anytime I tried to reason with him or I got angry he would drug me. When I was conscious I tried with all my might to concentrate so that you would find me."

"I know. And it worked; we could feel the flickers of your location from time to time. Everyone helped search for you and what you were doing helped us to close in on you. Even the Quileute man helped – they are our allies now – as long as we stay away from their land. We found the cave where he kept you in Alaska, and I fought him. I defeated him and we rescued you."

She lifted a brow at my mention of the Quileute's. I had forgotten that she did not know that they were wolves. That stay's for another time.

"How did you find my father?" I sighed.

"I went to see you in the morning as we had talked, and as soon as I reached the house I knew that something was very wrong. Charlie was still alive, but barely conscious. I called Rose and Emmet, as well as Carlisle and the Volturi. They were already in town to deal with Alice. I tried to make your father comfortable while we waited for 911. I knew that he was bleeding internally but there was nothing I could do for him. Rose came and we helped in any way we could. We did not leave him alone for a second. He managed to find the strength to tell us what had happened, and asked me to tell you that he loved you and for me to find and to take care of you." She was crying harder now, having pulled her knees to her chin to hug her legs. I sat next to her and pulled her to my body, sitting her on my lap. She held on to me like a life line.

"They did all they could to heal him but he was too far gone. He died on his way to the hospital. He was a brave man, Isabella. He faced death in the eye without blinking. He was a man that I would be proud to call a father. His last words were for you and his last thoughts were for you too." Her wails broke my heart. I waited until she calmed a bit.

"You could have…you know…bbit him?" Oh, honey…if only it was that simple. I sighed.

"No, my love. His heart was not in a good condition. He would not have made it. He was badly wounded internally and his heart had already been damaged. If I had bitten him, his last hours would have been of excruciating pain. I managed to take most of the pain he was in and he even managed to find the strength to talk to us."I was greeted by a new wave of salty tears and I just let her roll in her pain. She needed to feel it to become stronger.

"He was given a hero's burial as he should. Marcus and the Quileute's organized everything. Everyone was present. The Cullen's, Marcus, the Quileute tribe and the whole town."

"And me? Are they looking for me?" she asked frantic.

"No. We faked your death and you were buried next to your father. Only the Quileute know the truth. To Forks, you died in a car crash the same day that your father did. We manipulated the medical records and Carlisle performed the forensic analysis so that this would be considered a robbery gone wrong perpetrated by someone passing through town. The investigation will lead in a few days to a Seattle inhabitant that is guilty of several very brutal murders but was never caught by the police. Unfortunately he will be dead by overdose when the detectives get to him."I snickered, Peter and Charlotte had offered to make it happen.

She looked at me her mouth hanging open incredulously. I smirked at her knowingly.

"My father, Marcus, handled the whole affair knowing that we needed to solve the mess Edward made, and to give you some peace. We cannot have an open murder investigation on someone of our race. What you must focus on is that we caught the killer, that you are safe, that he will be put to trial and that for the human world Isabella and Charlie Swan are dead."

She sighed deeply, and I felt with her the weight on her shoulders and the pain.

"Who am I now?"

"I made you Isabella Marie Whitlock. You have a whole new set of documents and a whole new identity. I have also changed your age. I made you nineteen. A closer match to my real age of 20."

"Thank you. I really don't know what to think."

"There is no need to thank me. You are my mate and it is my duty and my honor to take care of you. I may not tell you this many times, but I love you Isabella. I love all of you and I am so proud that you are my mate." She looked deeply into my eyes with her swollen, red rimmed ones and I felt her love and adoration for me. She leaned in and shyly touched her lips to mine. The kiss was chaste and full of love, pain, sorrow and hope. I kissed her back, putting all my love and devotion for her in that kiss, making it a kiss of healing, of new beginnings, of hope for the future and for our life together.

We stood there for a while, lost in each other, kissing and just healing each other's pain and sorrow. When twilight came, she stood and walked towards the water.

"What will happen to Edward? To the Cullen's?" I walked towards her and embraced her from behind.

"He will be put to trail for the murder of your father and almost exposure of our kind. He will also be judged for stealing another vampire's mate. Carlisle will be judged for not teaching his coven the rules of our kind and therefore contributing to the almost exposure of our race by his fledgling, amongst other things."I could not stop thinking about Cecilia. What was it? A person? A place?

"I want to be there. I want him to pay. I cannot forgive him for what he did to me, to Charlie. I am not the same person. The old Bella would have forgiven and forgot, but I can't. I don't care that he is ignorant, I don't care that he is a misguided child. I want him to pay for my father's death, Jasper. I lost Charlie way before I was ready and he was taken from me while he tried to defend me. I will never forgive this. Never!" Peter was right when he said that Isabella would despise Edward. Her emotions towards Edward held nothing more than hate, disgust and anger. She loathed him with all that she had.

"He will pay. And you will be there to see him pay. Now we should get in, it is late and you must eat something. You are too thin and I like you with a bit more of meat on your bones." I smiled at her and she blushed. She was feeling shy, insecure and worried.

"They already love you. You will have a hard time to make them go away." I chuckled as we walked hand in hand towards the house.

"Charlotte is first mother, isn't she? Like Carmen."

"Yes, and she will kick my ass if I ever hurt you."She chuckled slightly for the first time in weeks and it was amazing.

We walked into the house. Bastien, Alexis and Peter and Charlotte were standing by the fireplace. Their excitement was so great that I started feeling giddy, all of a sudden, and had the urge to jump up and down. I scowled them.

"Cut the shit out." They immediately put a damper on their emotions.

Peter and Charlotte approached us.

"Isabella these are Peter and Charlotte. My brother and sister by venom and the only two other persons in the world, besides you and Marcus that I consider like blood family. Peter, Char, this is Isabella, my mate." They both looked at me, asking permission to talk to her. I nodded.

Peter stretched his hand and took Isabella's planting a soft kiss to her knuckles. Isabella blushed furiously making the amusement in the room to escalate. Charlotte was next. She just pulled Isabella into a gentle hug.

"Nice to meet you. Jasper told me a lot about his brother and sister." She said shyly to them, quickly leaning into me for strength. She was not afraid of them, just insecure. Charlotte held a hand to her and she took it.

"It is nice to meet you all. Thank you for what you have done for me. I am sorry for the last…"Charlotte did not let her finish.

"It is nothing. Don't speak another word about it. Welcome to our family and to your house, Isabella. I know that you will be happy in here with your mate and with us."

Isabella had tears in her eyes when she finished meeting Bastien and Alexis. We all sat in the living room just talking while I observed their interaction, letting them getting to know each other. No one talked about her breakdown and nobody pressured her into anything, giving her the time she needed to be at ease with them.

The girls went to the kitchen to make food for Isabella some time during the night.

"You were right Peter. She loathes Edward." Peter smiled.

"I know. It was set in stone. But the trial will be hard on her."

"We will get her through this. We will help." Bastien's determination washed through me. He had a strong connection to my mate. One laced with protection and care. I looked at him inquisitively.

"She is like a little sister to me. Elle me…sorry…She reminds me beaucoup of my little soeur Jeanie." He always slipped into his native French when he was emotional. He smiled when he remembered his long lost sister. In the kitchen we could hear the girls talking. Char and Alexis were filling Isabella on the latest gossip of the guard and explaining her how things worked around here. Wonder and belonging were her main feelings.

I took her to bed around midnight. Charlotte and Alexis gave me the usual warnings but all I wanted was to have her by my side again. I organized my agenda for the next day, making sure that I was with her in the morning, at lunch and dinner; she needed me to be present now. The rest of her day would be spent with the girls, learning about our world, and about her place in it.

Days turned into weeks and soon almost three weeks had passed. She still mourned and cried a lot for the loss of her father, but she found some happiness and contentment in her new life. Oddly enough she decided to open the bag with her things with me, Peter, Char, Alexis and Bastien a few days later. She wanted those who she already considered her family with her to help her with this step. She cried and laughed at some of the things that the girls had brought as she explained them to us. Bastien took upon himself to make picture frames from several materials and now Isabella's pictures from her childhood and from her parents were hanging all around the house. Her clothes were put in her closet and not once was she pressured to go and purchase more by the girls, who understood the need for her to do things at her own pace.

She almost cried in happiness when she saw that Peter and Bastien had put all of her books and Cd's in the shelves of the living room. She caressed the old, tattered book covers before thanking both of them with tears in her eyes. She confided later to us that she thought that we would throw away her old books to buy new and more expensive editions. We explained to her that those were the ways of the Cullen's not of the Whitlock's and that we knew that she needed the comfort of familiar things at this moment of her life.

In the mantel piece stood a silver framed picture of her and Charlie. She was little in it, maybe six years old and she was missing her front teeth, it had been taken in the summer when she visited Charlie in Forks, and they were both grinning brightly to the camera. We could see that it had been a good day. I loved to look at it, seeing my mate as such a beautiful, happy child. None of us possessed such precious things like pictures of our human life, so her pictures were cherished by all. Next to it stood another picture of her with her mother and Phil, taken not long before she came to Forks. She missed her mother, but strangely she missed her father the most.

I made sure that she contributed to the decoration of our house. She personally picked out many items and rearranged the house to suit our taste and needs. It was slowly becoming her house too. The girls were excited with the chance to decorate and they helped her any way they could. She managed to surprise me one night when I got home and met her in the kitchen. I saw that we had a second fridge and a new microwave oven.

"Well, we have our friends and family all the time here and I am the only one that can take a drink. It is rude not to offer something to the other's so, taking into account that you cannot drink alcohol, I talked to Char and Alexis and together we came up with this. It is a freezer for blood. We can put several containers in it and I have separated the shelves for human and animal blood. They told me that you like lion's blood from time to time. Char said that Carlos will come every two days to refill the containers. They said that you don't get into bloodlust when you are well fed and you won't get into frenzy and can drink socially. Alexis said that the Volturi do it all the time. It is kept in the same conditions of the ones in the mess hall but it has all of your favorites. You can warm it on the microwaves and then serve our guests." She was so excited when she pulled me to the living room.

We stopped in front of the ancient cupboard that stood under one of the main windows. In it, on display there was a strange contraption that looked like an antique Russian samovar. The craftsmanship was amazing and I knew that this had been bought in an antique shop just for my mate.

"Alexis and Bastien arranged this. Bastien electrified it and it will keep the blood at the correct temperature to be served for many hours. All you have to do is fill it with the warm blood and then serve yourself by this little tap. Of course I won't be going anywhere near it and you will open the windows when you drink it…but…" I stood there gob smacked while she looked at me with pride and satisfaction radiating from her. This was the same girl that fainted at the sight of blood?

I had no words so I showed her my appreciation by kissing her senseless until we were interrupted by the clearing of a throat coming from the doorway.

"Save that for the binding ceremony." Peter smirked at me and got out of the room before the orange that I hurled at him could reach his head. I looked again at the girl in my arms before kissing her again. She was my world and I had her in our house, with our family and she was living and moving on.

A/N Long chapter to compensate the wait.

Did Jasper rise to the task of helping his mate in her hour of need? Only two more chapters to go my friends. Read and review, it makes my day to read your opinions.


	30. Chapter 30

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** **mama4dukes has taken over as my beta in this story, you all know who she is, so, go give her stories some love.** Savagegracex and letsjustdance are my pre readers. Letsjustdance helped me a lot with Emmet's appearance in this chapter.

**The amazing LunarEclispe1 has made two amazing banners for ****The Warlord****. They are on my profile. Go check them, and then go and give her stories the love they deserve. **

_**I dedicate this chapter to Cindy and Juanita. We, on this side of the Atlantic are praying for you both.**_

Chapter 29

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

I ordered that Edward be reassembled and for the preparations for the Cullen's trial to begin. By the end of the month, my domain would be crawling with visiting vampires, some from covens and other nomads, as they were all being summoned by the Volturi to attend my appointment as Governor of the continent. I wanted everything to be ready. The news of the downfall of the Cullen coven and trial had been widely publicized and I had already received many phone calls and letters sent by concerned covens and vampires that knew them, wanting to know what had happened.

I was now a _persona non grata_ in what concerned Carlisle and Esme. Esme was too kind to understand all that was going on and she tried several times to talk me into letting them go, even after I explained their charges to her. I had to dismiss her time and time again, feeling her hurt and incomprehension of the situation.

Carlisle, however, insisted in showing the deepest betrayal and hurt when around me, as if that would deter me from my job. He blamed me for the downfall of his family.

He cut all ties to me when he saw what I had done to his golden boy. Edward was disfigured, and as I had foreseen, the nerve endings of his arm had been damaged by my venom. He could move it but he could not make his hand stop twitching. He was also slightly insane by the time Carlisle was allowed to see him.

I smiled at the memory of the first time that I laid my eyes upon him after his arrival here. I had felt a huge feeling of perverse accomplishment and satisfaction. Perfect and beautiful Edward was not so perfect and immaculate now. He was scarred just like we were, and that gave me satisfaction. Many times I had felt his repulse and disgust at the sight of my marred skin. For him, my skin showed the depravity of my life and the baseness of my morals. But now, he too was scarred. He too would feel and see the disgust of others when they looked at him. He too would feel what he had made us feel so many times.

Looking at him, I knew that there was no way in the world that he could be able to blend with the human world. The nature of the wounds that I had inflicted on his face would expose him for something unnatural. I allowed him to be moved into Carlisle and Esme's heavily guarded cottage to heal properly. Carlisle was quite belligerent towards me and I had to assert my authority on him a few times. One of the reasons that made him absolutely infuriated with me was my very strong advice to them to keep their distance from my mate.

They had tried to barge into our house when we arrived demanding to see her, as if they had all the rights, claiming to love her as a daughter. I had physically removed them from my house before laying down the law.

"Stay away from my mate or you will attend your trial in pieces."

Only Peter and Bastien's combined efforts stopped me from destroying them.

Charlotte and Alexis accompanied them back to their cottage where they explained that it is not wise to enter my dwelling without being invited, and that demanding to see my mate who was hurt because of their unjustified faith and trust in an immature, arrogant boy, was unwise. After having being told that they risked their own lives if they tried it again, they prudently stood away from her.

I sighed as I reviewed the last three weeks in my mind and I looked at the clock again. 15:30, another one and half hours before going to see my girl. She was feeling better but she missed me terribly during the day, and I had promised her that we would go on a stroll around the lake after I get home.

I continued to go through the papers that I had on top of my desk, when I heard the boisterous noises that only one vampire dared to make in headquarters. Emmett. One of the two vampires that came out unscathed from the Cullen fiasco.

Emmett had decided to join the Whitlock House and after consulting with the Master's we decided to give him a chance. Emmett had flown to Italy a day after our arrival and had made the request to join. After being scanned by Aro, it was decided that both him and Rosalie were unaware of anything that happened in the coven and that their bonds to Carlisle and Esme had been shattered.

Emmett had already joined the House of Men, when he first arrived in Montana, to begin his long due education as a vampire, under the care and watchful eye of Urias, the Celt. Urias was a curious figure between the Volturi. Almost a legend. He had been a druid when he was a human and had been turned by Marcus when he was in his sixties. He was the oldest vampire known to us, biologically speaking, and a grandfather figure to all of us. Old and odd looking he was the personification of a wizard. It did not help that his long hair and long grey beard made him known (behind his back) as Gandalf, he was also the sponsor of Bastien, who had formalized the request to become a first father – his long time wish - and was heading to Volterra as soon as my mate was turned, to begin his 2 year formation.

Emmett had just arrived from Italy and, as it were, his duty was to come to me to deliver his report and I welcomed the distraction.

"Enter, Emmett" I said as I got out of the desk to go to the door and greet him. He had always been respectful of me and he had welcomed me and Isabella in his heart with open arms.

"Jasper, you look better than the last time I saw you," he greeted me with a huge smile.

"Hey Emmett, it is good to see you too, how is Volterra?" I said returning his enthusiastic handshake and leading him to the armchair in front of me.

He turned serious. "What can I tell you Jasper? That I feel like a fool? That I am now aware that I lived a lie all of my vampiric life?" he sighed and rubbed his face. "I lived in that house for decades with that family, and I had absolutely no clue about what was really going on. I suppose that I was too wrapped up in immortality and in Rose and our pathetic lives to look around and see." I patted his shoulder as I felt the stream of guilt, remorse, sadness and anger that flowed from him.

"I spent a lot of time with the Master's, especially Marcus. They showed me around and they personally explained things to me. It disgusted me, Jasper. They are nothing like Carlisle and Edward pictured them. It turned me down for a while, man; it took me a few days and Marcus help to get my bearings again. I want to be proud of who I am and of what I do, Jasper." I could feel his sincerity and his determination; I nodded and walked over to the samovar that was now gracing my office. It was filled with human blood and my Isabella's idea was being adopted by everyone. I felt Emmet's curiosity.

"Do you want a drink? AB+ brought in today and at 37.5 Celsius." I filled a cup and handed it to him before pouring myself one, reveling in the scent of the warm human blood. I looked at Emmett who looked like a child in front of the Christmas tree.

"I only saw this in Volterra, in the main sitting room," he said after taking a sip. "It's perfect."

"You can thank Isabella. She is the one that came up with the idea."

"It figures," he chuckled. "I see that she is perfect for you. I don't know how I never realized what was really going on between you two. Come to think of it I should have realized that there was so much more to you than you showed when you first came. You had nothing in common with Alice. I should have seen, you were always so guarded, so careful, so intense. You never open up too much. But I always thought that it was because of your past in the wars. Little did I know!" he chuckled.

"With a mind reader such as Edward in the house I could not expose my cover and blow my mission. I knew what was going on, I saw your ignorance of our world and I saw that, apart from very punctual instinctual behaviors - like going away to claim your mate, and dominating her when you felt threatened by another male - you all seemed to try to forget what you were, and those behaviors were never explained to you. All that concerned our vampire instincts fell under '_it's our beast…our demon category_' as if our instincts were something shameful and to be hidden. You all seemed brainwashed by Carlisle and his convictions and completely sold to his idea of perpetual high school and integration into the human world," I told him as I took another sip of my glass.

He sighed deeply. "That's true. I feel like a fool, man."

"I know. But you have a second chance here and you are learning fast. Everything will work itself out. You will see." I felt the need to reassure him. He had just learned that all of his life had been a lie and that can take its toll on a man.

Emmett was thoughtful for a minute as he drank his blood and I felt the longing and the protective feelings that he always had around my mate. I decided to put him out of his misery.

"Isabella is doing better, Emmett. These past two weeks were good. She is handling her father's death the best she can and she is trying hard to fit in. I am sure that Rose already filled you in."

"Yes, she did. I am glad that they worked things out. I mean…I would like to be in her life, Jasper. I love her too, and it was so hard to go to the funeral and mourn her, knowing that I was trapped and could not go with you guys to save her. I understand why, but..."he sighed. "Well, what matters is that she is better, I guess."

"She wants to see you Emmett, don't worry, why don't you and Rose join us after dinner?" He grinned and sheer happiness and relief flowed from him. He took one last sip before his emotions became serious again.

"Jasper, are things ready for the trial? Carlisle must be confronted with what he has done, and so must Edward. They must realize how wrong they are! I should go and see them but I just can't. Not yet, not after what I was told. I can't face Carlisle knowing what he provoked and I am afraid that I'll just snap his neck if he censures Rose and me on our dietary change. And I can't be around Edward, I just can't!" Anger and frustration were overwhelming him. I patted his shoulder and I nodded sending him a wave of understanding.

"Let's go. I promised Isabella a stroll around the lake and it is time, and I am sure that you want to get reacquainted with your mate." He grinned while he wiggled his eyebrows. We left my office and walked towards the surface while he told me more about his stay in Italy and how difficult it was to deal and accept the truth. I just listened; he needed to get it off his chest.

I knew that Emmet and Rosalie were furious with Carlisle for all that he had hidden about their diet and the horrors that had caused. And they absolutely loathed Edward. There was no way that they could ever again think of him as a brother after everything he did to my mate. They could not understand why Carlisle hid our world from them and let them lead such miserable, pathetic lives, with no hope of change and of personal growth. They both knew that they had a lot to learn about the vampiric world and about their own race and in a conscious and informed decision they decided to move on and feed off of human blood as the rest of the coven, even if they knew that their decision would be met with Carlisle's hostility and reprimand as soon as he saw them.

Emmet was going to be trained to serve in my guard, he was a good fighter and we could see how thrilled he was to finally be able to give up the whole high school routine and to do something meaningful with his life. It did wonders for him to be able to be the man of the house and to have his own home and job.

Both Rosalie and he had taken his human name, so they were known as the McCarty's, and they had requested to live in a cottage not far away from Isabella's and mine, that Rose was decorating.

"How is Isabella adapting to this new world?" he asked, clearly wanting to change subject and calm down. I smiled as I filled him in on all that he had missed in my Isabella's life while staying in Italy.

My Isabella had embraced the new people in her life and her new life with the curiosity and innocence of a child, and that included Rose, soon after her awoke from her breakdown. Under the watchful eye of Charlotte as first mother they were both learning the traditional vampire ways and traditions and my Isabella made a new start with Rosalie who was interested in all that concerned the first mother's line of activity, especially with abused women and children. Rosalie asked for forgiveness for her behavior towards her when she was with Edward and Isabella gave it to her after she heard Rose's story and motives, grateful that she had stayed with Charlie until the end.

Hanging around the girls, all of whom accepted Rosalie with open arms when Emmett went to Italy, made my mate grow some self confidence and self worth. Learning about their stories made her put her life in perspective and to get rid of some of her ridiculous notions. She stopped considering that everything bad that happened was her fault, and she stopped demeaning herself. She learned that she had her own beauty and that she was worthy of my love and of the affection of the others. In the loving, nurturing environment of our family she was growing up fast and beautifully.

We shared some good laughs at her incapability of understanding some of our costoms, mostly the ones concerning the female's more submissive role in our society. Emmett and I both knew that she was used to be independent and having been born in the much tamer human world, it was difficult for her to understand that she had to differ to me in almost everything, and that even though I always listened to her opinions, the ultimate decisions in our household were made by me. After all she was the Lady of the Whitlock House, my mate.

Emmett almost cried laughing when I told him that one of the things that irked Isabella to no end was that a male or female had to ask permission to me before addressing or touching her or that she had to follow the same rules.

He almost choked in laughter when I told him that she learned the hard way that she could not go hugging and touching other vampire's mates without the male being present and without his permission, when a very pissed off and jealous Draco scared the life out of her when he saw her hugging and smiling at his Antonio. He did not hurt or harm her in any way, but he did say some truths to her, in a very crude manner that made her see why we had rules. He then shocked the life out of her by ripping his mate's clothes and burying himself inside of him to ascertain his claim on Antonio, under the eyes of my mate. Jealousy and possessiveness radiating from him. I got her out of there before she fainted from the shock at his display of force.

"Oh fuck, Jasper. I wish…had be… here….to…see that," he managed to say while shaking with laughter.

I told him that I did not interfere in her dressing down by Draco because both Rosalie and Alexis told me that it would do her good to see the reason why we have rules. It had been the first display of public claiming that she witnessed and she was bewildered about that behavior.

"Yeah…you did well," he said after he calmed down. "This is a completely different world from the one we lived in. My Rose is having a hard time too. Did the girls explain to them why things are this way?" I nodded.

Charlotte, Alexis and Rose had explained to Isabella that this was normal mated male behavior, and that it had already happened to them multiple times. She was ashamed and scared when they said that I was no different and that it would also happen to her. For some time she could not look me in the eye, but I felt that she had learned her lesson to ask permission before hugging another male's mate.

"You must give her time, Jasper. She is young and innocent and she is bound to be stubborn and reckless sometimes." I smiled. I knew it too well.

I explained to Emmett that she threw a temper tantrum one day because she wanted to go for a drive around the compound and I said no. I explained to her the reasons why not- that Bastien, Peter and I were busy for the moment and so were the girls. I explained that we had dangerous wildlife roaming freely and that it was not safe for her to go out alone.

She just didn't want to understand the restriction and decided that she could do it after I left for work. Sneaking out of the house she took a Jeep and went for the road. I knew that she would do something like this and left one of my trusted guards to follow her without being seen. I was called an hour later because the guard communicated that she was surrounded by a pack of wolves and had stranded the jeep in a very rocky path.

"A pack of wolves? Man…she really is a danger magnet!" Emmett said in awe.

It was the first time that I punished her. I got her into the house while she seethed in her anger, self righteous behavior and slight shame at having needed my help to get out of trouble. I made sure that she was safe and turned to her.

"The rules that are in place here are for your protection as a human and as my mate. What you have done is nothing less than a betrayal to me and my care for you. I told you why you should not do it and you just ignored my care. I am deeply disappointed in your behavior and your lack of sense for your own safety. I think that it would do you good to be alone for a while." I just looked at her, turned around and left, leaving her confused, a bit panicky and with shame running through her. I ignored her phone calls, and told Peter, Char, Alexis and Bastien to go into the house but to leave her to her thoughts.

I only went to the house in the next morning to change my clothes. She was sitting in the living room and as she saw me jumped me, sobbing and asking to be forgiven. She realized that she had been acting like a spoiled brat and that she was used to get her way. I talked to her, showing her how little mistakes, impulsive behavior and reckless attitudes could lead her to death when living in our world, and in the end she apologized for putting herself in harm's way. I forgave her of course, and afterwards she had a long heartfelt talk with Charlotte that explained to her that it was the same for all women. That I was not the only overprotective mate. We, males, were all like that.

"Yeah, you did what you had to do. I would have done the same. You need to protect her even from herself. Her behavior borders stupid sometimes. And she learned her lesson; ours is not a woman's world, Jasper. The stories that I heard about what happen to lonely women or when women go to battle…" He shivered as he recalled the stories that he had learned.

I told him that both Rose and Bella were begrudgingly coming to terms with our traditions. It was difficult for them to know that although they could be involved with the activities of the House of Women and with some of the activities of the Whitlock House, that they would not work outside the compound unless accompanied by members of my guard, and that they wouldn't be fighting in any battles. We had to explain to both of them time and time again that we could not have weaknesses in battle, and that a female, even a vampire one in her newborn state, would always be weaker than any male.

"_But we can help. You can teach us how to fight and we can help you when problems come. I will be strong and fast after you change me._"I told Emmett how my mate had tried to reason with us one night, speaking for both Rose and her.

"No way, Jasper," Emmett said distressed. "Now that I am aware of what is going on, I won't let Rose anywhere near any conflict if I can help it. I can't stand how reckless I was with my mate all this years. I just can't. I can't think of it." I nodded, because he echoed the feelings of every mated male.

Rose and Isabella could not understand that we, the male vampires were the cruelest, strongest and most vicious creatures at the surface of Earth and that any vampire who took a female into battle would lose her in horrible ways.

I said nothing when both Alexis and Charlotte both took Isabella and Rosalie and went into Charlotte's and Peter's room. I only heard the sobs and the repeated 'I am so sorry' 'Oh, my God' before a tear stained Isabella came out hugging a still sobbing Rosalie a few hours later. I knew that those brave women had both shown Isabella and Rosalie what war and battle did to women in our world. And how vicious we, males, really were in battle.

I had seen both of their bodies. They did not have an inch of skin that was not marred by the scars of thorn arms and legs and of vampire bites. And that was nothing on the horrible mental scars they both had. I blamed myself for this despite Char and Alexis reassurances that it wasn't my fault. Sadly it still is a commonplace. The best way to win a battle? Distract the males of the enemy army by appearing with females.

I did not have enough power at the time to stop Maria from sending women into battle and to train my newborns to not abuse the enemy's women. But I always tried to protect the women that Maria changed. Peter and Charlotte had already mated but Alexis was still single by the time it happened. One day Maria ignored my advice and sent Charlotte and Alexis along with twenty newborns in a surprise attack to a nearby enemy town. They were overwhelmed and we could not get there in time to help the girls. They were viciously attacked, bitten, brutally gang raped and dismembered by a group of newborns and only got out of there alive because Bastien and Garret were passing by and destroyed the newborns that had taken them. That was my limit, seeing their broken bodies and emotions, I stepped in and grabbing Maria's neck showed her who really was in charge and never again I allowed women to go into battle. I let Peter and Charlotte leave the following week and Bastien and Alexis left the following month to join the Volturi. By that time I had already sworn my allegiance to them and was ordered to keep Maria in line.

Despite all that we did to protect women, and despite the laws, it is still a common practice. The simple scent of a female in the battle field is enough to send the enemy's males in frenzy. That is why we tried to keep as many women away from service in the guard as much as possible, and the reason why we taught them how to defend themselves to the best of their ability.

Only a woman with incapacitating powers as Jane or Renata is allowed anywhere near a battlefield and under heavy protection.

It is not sexism or prejudice, it is a biological reality. Once again it had to be shown to Isabella and Rose. Charlotte and Alexis with their mate's permission fought and lost against all the rookie male guards and not even against the tame and loving Carlos they could win. They both understood then when they saw her friends being defeated time and time again.

"I hope that got to them, Jasper. I can't stand the idea of Rosalie going through that again. I just can't," Emmett said brokenly.

"They won't. I promise you. We will protect them, Emmett," I assured him. We were already on the path to our homes. "Go home, Rose is waiting for you. Come by later to see Isabella." He nodded and ran towards his home.

I reached my house and there, like a vision was my mate. In a white summer dress, ballerinas and a navy blue shawl around her shoulders. A vision of beauty and femininity on the front porch of our home, that almost made my dead heart start to beat again. She spotted me and in a graceful move ran to meet me.

I embraced her, kissing her warm lips with all of my love and devotion. How could I live without this? We kissed for a long time. Neither of us aware of the rest of the world as we just melted our souls and emotions into one single thing, love.

After a while, we broke down and I picked up her hand and linked her arm through mine and we started walking. We talked about everything and nothing like we did nowadays. It was so good coming home from work and having my woman, my mate, my love waiting for me.

We were closer than ever and more in love than I thought possible. As time went by and she healed from the death of her father, we grew closer and closer, and we spent together all of our free time. We talked and we took our time in getting to know each other, and I was often left in awe at how deep we were falling in love. We were mates and that was already an overwhelming connection, but to fall in love with her little things, and getting to know her was amazing.

She had a huge need to be wanted, to belong, and to be needed. She needed to feel useful and hated to be feeling helpless. I gave her wide berth to do what she wanted, as long as she cleared with me first. As I had predicted she took interest in the library and in the activities of the House of Women. And surprisingly she wanted to help with the animals at the research center.

We always spent our nights together. I made good on my promise to Charlotte and refrained from anything more heated than kissing and groping. My balls were already unfeeling from the lack of use and the pain of not having sex was a distant memory as I concentrated on something else.

I always managed to bring her the release that she needed but I was left dry. It was too dangerous physically for her to help me and I was reduced to many cold showers as I got reintroduced to my hand. To both of them.

"I have a surprise reserved for you tonight darling. You will love to see him." I felt her curiosity spike and her joy as she connected the dots.

"Emmett, is Emmett home?" she squealed, happy as a clam.

"Yep, and dying to see you. He is coming by later tonight." She was so happy that for a minute I thought she forgot to breathe and then she jumped my neck, wrapped her legs around my waist and was kissing me senseless, not helping the control that I had over my dick, which was already at attention and ready. I almost lost it when my hands grabbed her ass to better hold her hot core against me.

_Oh, yeah_, _more to the left, baby…_my beast purred.

I kept kissing the life out of her and pushing her hot, wet heat against my crotch as I rushed us to the house before I could not control myself anymore. I needed Char near me or I would take my woman on the shore of our lake.

_Yes, that is a good idea, just put her down and slid those panties of hers down and you can reach home in one stroke, no one will be the wiser, _my beast was so not helping. Neither was Isabella whose arousal as she ground against me was making me dizzy with desire. I reached our house and pushed her back against the front door, to better feel the friction that we were creating. _Oh fuck, she is so warm, a little more won't harm her._

Suddenly the opening of the door and the throat clearing of a female made us come back from our lusty haze. I almost dropped my mate on the floor, having been caught on the act. Charlotte was glaring, protectiveness and anger flowing from her. Oops…Slowly and regretfully I put my mate down, while I looked at the door frame. There was a fly there, maybe I should...

"Jasper, may I have a word…" Oh…oh…

"Hum…I am going to the bathroom," my blushing mate gushed and took off like a bat from hell, embarrassment and amusement flowing from her.

Minx!

I looked at a frowning Charlotte and lifted my hands in surrender.

"Damn woman, I did nothing. We were just kissing." I defended myself still looking at the fly, not wanting to withstand her glare. My beast decided to give his input too. _Well, we did nothing more than kissing because you run like a scared kitten. I would have ravished our mate by the lake and then this old bat could go preach to another country. I am forgetting of how it feels to be inside a woman, you know?_

Great, just great. I sighed and I was going to talk when Char cut me.

"Jasper, she is human. I am a very tolerant first mother and I have been turning a blind eye to your night activities with Bella. But I am warning you now. You must not get yourself into a situation in which you can fall into the temptation of her body. I know how hard is to resist intimacy but you must do it. You must set the example! The investiture ceremony is almost here and everybody will be watching how you live by our law." She glared at me one more time before heading to the kitchen. In a very mature move from my part, I stuck my tongue at her retreating figure.

Fuck, one week until the ceremony, then the binding and then prepare my mate to change. But not before her eighteenth birthday. It will give her some more time as a human.

I sat with her as she ate, as did Charlotte, Alexis and Bastien. Peter was out, hunting. Most of us still preferred to go out and hunt our meals as the nearby big towns were crawling with criminals. I hunted too, once a month, but because I needed more feeding due to my human mate, I drank from the canteens blood too. But some of us ate exclusively at the headquarters canteen and those were the most enthusiastic about the project that Alexis and Rose were working on. Making vampires manage to eat food. Blood based food. It had been Rose's idea after she had seen a program of molecular gastronomy.

They had already managed to add very small quantities of alcohol to the blood we drank. And they had been successful into changing the taste of a sample of blood to taste of strawberries, and had managed to make another taste of black berries. It still made us gag slightly but we believed that it was only a matter of time until we could get a drink or eat a blood pudding, or steak? The girls certainly were excited and Peter was the most enthusiastic guinea pig. Which provided the rest of us, countless hours of entertainment as the girls had documented their experiences on video.

We were sittting in the living room, me with my mate on my lap, laughing our asses off at the look on Peter's face when he ate a frozen blood ball that was supposed to be vanilla ice cream, when the door busted opened. I quickly stood up, acting on instinct and growled at the intruder. It took me a third of a second to recognize the scents and the emotional signatures. Emmett and Rose.

It was obvious that Emmett and his mate had already reconnected, as his scent was all over her, and she was just glowing with happiness. These two were true mates. Rosalie had bloomed into a new woman, much of her rancor and bitterness eased with all that she learned when joining the House of Women. It really did her good.

Emmett just shot a quick look at me, demanding permission and my mate was off my lap and into his arms in a tight hug before I finished my nod. His emotions held nothing more than happiness and joy and brotherly love for my Isabella. She squealed happily as he lifted her and spun her around the room chanting, "Bella…Bella…my sis…I missed you so much…"

"Emmett, stop, I am going to throw up," she said laughing and he gently put her down while looking at her face.

"I am glad that you are feeling better my sweet pea, I am sorry that I wasn't here to help you, but I had to go."

"I know. Don't worry. I am better now." A wave of grief and sadness swept through her but with a sigh she controlled it. She smiled at him even if it was a sad smile. "Come, sit with me and tell me all about Italy." She sat in front of the fire place and I saw how she basked in the warmth of it. As September approached the weather got colder and at night we lit the fireplace to warm up the living room.

I left them to their talk as we continued to watch the latest video. Sometime later Isabella's emotions changed. She was looking at the fire, a lost look in her eye, her book forgotten. Sadness, love, sorrow, pain, anger and then determination and longing. I excused myself from our poker game and pulled her into my arms.

"What's wrong, darling? You are sending some strong emotions," I said softly in her ear. The others, even though I could feel their concern, continued with the game as if nothing was wrong.

"Jasper, I know that in the next few days people will start to come to your ceremony and to the trial, and I want nothing else than to be here for you. But to take my place by your side I need to tie up my loose ends." She looked at me, and her eyes were filled with tears. I kissed her softly already knowing what she was going to ask me. She took a deep breath to strengthen herself. "I would like to go and say goodbye to Charlie. I need to do it. Can we go, please?"

I looked at her to gauge her feelings. Sadness, love, longing, grief, pain and resignation. She was ready.

"Yes, my darling. Let me just clear my agenda." I turned to Peter. "Peter, Bastien take charge in here. We are going to Forks. Prepare the Cessna. I will fly it myself."

"Who do you want to go with you, Bella?"

"Just you, Jasper. No need to disturb the others." She sighed against my chest and I could smell her tears. "Can you make it?" I nodded as I said goodbye to the others and took her to our room. I stripped her and then me, and, as we were used to, got under the covers naked. I pulled her into my arms and just let her cry herself to sleep. Around midnight Charlotte came to the room with a small duffel bag ready with a change of clothes and a big box of what smelled like flowers. She woke my mate up while I was taking a shower and helped her get ready as I gave my final orders. We left soon after and in a few hours we arrived in Forks. I had already called the Quileute elders to let them know and Sam was meeting us outside town to lead us to the memorial. A car had been rented and was waiting for us at Forks airport as it was raining heavily.

Before leaving the plane I explained to her what the Quileute's really were and to say that she was surprised was an understatement. We walked quickly to the rented car and then we sped up to Forks cemetery. Dawn was approaching and we had to be quick. My Isabella was supposed to be dead and it would not be good to draw attention. We were met outside Forks cemetery by the three Elders of the Council and by Sam. I could see some wolves lurking around in the shadows, and I could feel their anger and hate. They greeted my mate and me solemnly, but I could feel their sadness but also some indifference from most of them. To them she was already dead. One however was clearly agitated and pissed off.

"Thank you for meeting us here, but we should be going. Dawn approaches," I said. They nodded and then we went through the big iron gates. It was quiet and I could feel my mate's heart jumping at every noise, as her fear escalated.

"This is stupid, I am in the company of a vampire and of werewolves, and I am afraid of being in a cemetery at night?" I heard her muttering to herself, trying to calm down. I just pulled her more against me to comfort her as we walked to the center of the graveyard.

The memorial was beautiful. Placed in a soft green hill, under a great oak tree, stood a stone pillar with Charlie's bust sculpted in white marble facing the town that spread at his feet. A small stone bench half encircled the pillar allowing people to sit down and pay their respects, and a small street nearby lamp gave a surreal atmosphere to the place. I looked at the bust and saw that the artist that Marcus hired must have been one of the best. The resemblance was remarkable. I read the golden words carved in the grey marble of the pillar.

**Charlie Swan**

**Who lived his life for the law and by the law**

**Forks will never forget you**

**Rest in peace**

The sorrow and pain coming from my mate were overwhelming but I did not mess with her emotions. Ignoring the rain, she sat on the bench, caressing the stone and murmuring to her father. The others and I just gave her the space and privacy that she needed. I noticed that the elders had just spread and only Billy Black on his wheelchair was standing talking to her, as I engaged in conversation with Sam.

"She seems better. Your friend Charlotte gave me weekly reports on her. We have been worried even if she is to be one of you; we were friends of her father," he stated while keeping some distance from me. I appreciated it. He smelled awful.

"I know, and I thank you your concern. It was a rough path, but the last two weeks she has been better. She has me, her mate, to help her through this and she has already some friends and people who care for her."

"Yes, If you say so. I guess I never thought that it would be possible for your kind. And what the boy did, well…it did not help much."

"We are not the monsters your legends paint us to be. We too love, and we too suffer and feel pain." I could feel his distrust to my words. "We have everything ready for the trial; if you want you can come, you are welcome to join me on the plane." Damn, that would not be a fun ride.

"No, I cannot leave now. We have been having sightings of two other leeches that are constantly lurking around and I cannot leave the town unprotected. They do not feed in town, but there have been an increase in missing person's reports in Port Angeles and Seattle. We have more warriors changing and we need to patrol, now that the Cullen's aren't here." Humm, that is news. How come my intelligence services were not informed of this?

"Are the scents familiar?"

"No, not to us, but we had a glimpse of a female leech with flaming red hair and another one of a male with dreadlocks. Both are fast and they do not engage us, they just try to get through our defenses. It is just like if they were testing our determination." I felt a strange feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. The description sounded like Victoria and Laurent, James's companions. Come to think of it, he wasn't in Denali and they never talked about him, I would have to dig into this as soon as I get back to Montana. They could represent a threat, but I will not disclose this knowledge to the wolves. It will raise too many questions, which I really don't want to answer now.

"Do you need my help? The treaty states that I can dispatch a security contingent to help you."

"No," he said quickly. "They seem to be looking for something, but we can take care of it if they get in our reach." He was radiating pride and smugness; it was obvious that he did not want to deal with us any more than he needed. I could understand his pride; these were some dangerous mother fuckers. But this was my duty. Control nomads and make them understand that the rules and the enforcers were already in place.

"I understand that you are capable of defending Forks, but it is a lot of territory to patrol. They are my concern too and they are under my jurisdiction. I will dispatch one of my trackers and one guard to acquire the scents, and to track the nomads down. They will announce themselves to you when they arrive." My words were spoken with finality. He must get used to the fact that I am in charge and I call the shots.

He nodded before turning back and walking to stand beside Quill Ateara the Third, the leader of the Quileute council.

I turned to my mate. She was crying softly, holding the flowers that we had brought to her chest. I noticed one of the Elders, Billy Black, glaring at me.

"I am so sorry for dragging you into this, Daddy." She sobbed. "I am so sorry for all that I ever did that made you hurt." I went to her and took her in my arms, wishing that she did not have to go through this pain. "I just wished to have had more time with you, Daddy." She turned and hugged me as her crying became harder. I noticed the sky becoming lighter as the rain stopped and the clouds moved away, and I knew that we had to hurry.

I held her for a long time, letting her let go of her pain. Soon, however, the Quileutes were restless and I knew that we had to go. I pried her from me and looked into her swollen eyes.

"We have to go. We can't stay here any longer, darling. But we can come back when you feel the need." She took a deep, shaky breath and stilled herself. She grabbed the flowers, a wonderful bunch of white lilies and put them in front of her father's grave.

She touched the cold stone with her lips and reached for my hand. I sat beside her on the bench, easing some of her pain and grief.

"Daddy, this is the man that I am going to spend my life with. It's Jasper. You know him; he was with you when…" She stopped to compose herself before continuing."He has been taking good care of me and he makes me happy. You know that he is not like us, but he is good for me, Daddy." She looked at me and her love for me flooded my very own soul.

"It will be a while before I can come back, Daddy. You know why, but I will never forget you." She squeezed my hand tighter and I sent her some of my strength and some pride. She was doing admirably. She looked at the bust of her father. "I love you Daddy. I am sorry I did not say it enough, but I do. I love you, and I wish that you were here to hear it. Don't worry about me, I will be fine." With a final caress to the stone she melted against my chest, finally letting her grief submerge her.

"Do you want to see yours?" I whispered to her.

"No, Jasper, just take me home." And with those simple words my heart soared.

I carried her against my chest as we walked out of the graveyard, the Quileutes right behind us. We had to move fast because the town was awakening. I put my mate down so that she could say her goodbyes. The cold atmosphere seemed to have entered their hearts as they looked coldly at my mate. One specially was feeling quite hostile and was barely in control. A low growl came from me and made Sam stand in a protective stance in front of the Elders.

"I was your father best friend, and I know that we would not have wanted that life for you. Don't do this! Don't go with him. You still have a chance Bella. Stay with us. Live a human life, build a family. Do not become a monster like them." Billy Black said to my mate. His hatred for us was almost visible in the way as he spoke. My growl increased and I pushed Isabella against the car and stood in a defensive crouch in front of her, my growl echoing in the morning air as I let my beast come out.

"My mate. Mine!" The Elders backed off and Sam's posture mirrored mine in front of them. I could sense that he did not want to fight me but was feeling obliged by his instincts. I couldn't feel the other wolves so they must be away. That leaves only Sam to deal with and the old ones won't even be capable of fighting.

"Fuck, Billy, we already talked about this!" Sam said while keeping his eyes on me and his defensive stance.

"Bella, think! You don't have to do this!" He shouted over my growls. As I was ready to jump and tear the bastard apart my mate's hand grabbed my jacket making me stop.

"Stop this Billy. You know that my father only wanted for me to be happy. And I am happy with Jasper. I belong to and with Jasper and I want this. You know that! He is my world now. The human world already believes me dead. Let Isabella Swan rest in that graveyard. She died the same day that her father did. Let her rest. You know that there is nothing else holding me to this world." My mate spoke shakily from behind me, her hands clutching me to her."It is my life and my choice. And I chose this man and a destiny with him. Please understand. I want this and I can't live away from him," she was radiating fear and worry. As if I would let them take her away from me.

_From us. We can kill them all_. My beast growled, loving to be in control while examining all the possible strategies to win in case of a fight. _We can put our mate inside the car and then take down the alpha…then we snap the necks of the old man in the wheelchair. The others will run away like rabbits. Then you unleash your guard on the survivor wolves!_

"We have a treaty that is to be respected. You know that our numbers and power are enough to obliterate your race from the surface of the Earth. Do not try to take my mate away from me, or to attack any vampire under my or the Volturi authority. If you do I will kill you all. We are leaving now. Sam, remind your Elders and your people what they have to lose by ignoring the treaty." I finished, sending them a huge wave of fear and dread and my beast reveled in how they gasped and tried to put some distance between us. Sam nodded even if he was furious. With me or with his Elders I do not know.

"Your choice is a difficult one to accept, Isabella. You must understand why Billy is worried. But it is your choice and we…" he glanced at Black meaningfully. "…will respect that. You can go in peace, Whitlock. We will uphold the treaty made between your rulers and our Council. Goodbye Isabella. Be happy in your choice if you can. Remember that according to the treaty you must ask permission to return here, and you won't be allowed to stay for long." With a last look at me and a slight nod Sam turned to the Elders and ushered them away to a big pickup truck.

I looked at my mate, making a visual assessment of her body with my peripheral view. She was not harmed. I gauged at her emotions. She was a bit scared and a bit pissed off, but not harmed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I have nothing left in this town. Let's go home, Jasper. Let's go back to our friends. To our family," she said, as determination filled her.

I was in awe of this woman. So young, and yet, already she seemed seasoned in steel. Her strength and her sorrow made her almost glow. I stared at her full of pride. Here she was: a woman worthy of me, a woman worthy of her destiny. My mate! My Isabella.

"Let's go home, baby. Let's go start our life."

A/N - Are Jasper's and the new order's ideas and rules about women justified? And Emmett and Rose? Have they done the right thing?

I have teasers ready but you will have to ask them. Some of you don't like to receive them…so…just ask and I will send them.

Remember that if you have your PM disabled I cannot answer you. The same goes for all of you that review anonymously.


	31. Chapter 31

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** **mama4dukes has taken over as my beta in this story, you all know who she is, so, go give her stories some love.** LetsJustDance is my pre reader.

**I am sorry it took me so long to update, but the last few months were hectic for me. I am back now and updating all of my stories. **

**This chapter turned out too long so I decided to divide it in two. I will work on the next part right away. I hope it lives up to your expectations.**

Chapter 31

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

Without looking back, we entered our car and we drove away. Our destiny, our world was far away from this rainy town and human affairs. My mate was still mourning, but now she knew that everything would be alright. I held her to me as close to me as I could the entire flight back home, breathing softly in her face, my scent and mating pheromones lulling her to sleep.

A few hours later we were landing on the Montana complex and my mate and I were greeted outside by our friends. My tired Isabella was immediately taken away by the girls after a brief goodbye kiss, and a promise to see her later.

I could not shake the thought of Victoria and Laurent hanging around Forks, taunting the wolves and killing savagely. I would have to dispatch, immediately, a tracker and two senior guards to bring them here. I would not have two potential threats to our secrecy walking free, not to mention that Victoria had a prize on her head for her association with James and her role in his hunt and torture of my mate. I had a lot of questions and I would get my answers soon.

Looking around, I saw that many of the guest lodgings at the complex were already occupied.

"Jasper, Sir," Peter began. "The seconds in command of your Warlord brothers have arrived earlier this morning: N'Gahlo from Africa has sent his mate and wife M'gev'a; Mengyao from China has sent his brother Xia'u; Declan from Australia has also sent his brother Aydan. Stefan and Vladimir from Eastern Europe have come themselves instead of sending their representatives."

"Were they informed of the special condition of my mate?" He nodded.

"Yes. All the new arrivals are informed that the northern part of the valley is off limits under penalty of death. No exceptions made. I have also doubled the guard and Rose and Emmett have decided to move into your house to better protect Bella."

"Good. I want the girls always with her. I trust our visitors, but she is my mate. How are we about feeding?"

"We have everything ready. Almost all European covens have sent at least a representative to stay until the trial. All have been assigned to one of the facilities in the southern part of the valley. We have informed our guests of the best feeding places in the state if they wanted to hunt, and that there is always a fresh supply of blood in the canteen."

"The masters will arrive tonight but the wives will only come for your binding ceremony." He shrugged and continued, "We have about 397 registered vampires in the compound right now. We have decided to not allow any further visitors. This is already too much and a logistical nightmare. One good thing is that the cinema, the bar and the club, the gaming room and the library are ready. I had to resort to asking the Denali coven for their help in tending to everyone's needs because between making the preparations, decorating, cleaning and tending to their duties our girls and guards are on the limit. So far we have no major situations."

"You did well. I don't want this to become a circus, and I know that the news will travel fast." It seemed that everything was ready.

"Emmett, Bastien, Peter. Come with me to my office. We have a situation to discuss."

We arrived at my office in no time. I initiated the jamming devices destined to stop vampire ears from hearing what was being said inside. With so many new arrivals, I had to be careful. We all shook our heads to get used to the humming of the frequencies that were blocking our words.

"I was informed that there are two vampires lurking around Forks. The number of disappearances has increased dramatically in Port Angeles, neighboring towns and Seattle. Both vampires have been chased but managed to escape the La Push Wolves. Due to the continuous presence of the Cullen's and of these two vampires they have new additions to their shape shifters ranks and they are obliged to run 24/7 patrols. I talked to Sam and from his description of the rogue vampires they are known to us. I believe that they are Victoria and Laurent." I let them digest this piece of news. Emmett was growling softly and Peter and Bastien were feeling worried with a small touch of anger, they were aware of the dealings with James.

"I thought that the Cullen's had dealt with that threat?" Bastien snapped looking at Emmet who had the good sense of shaking his head and look at his feet. Regret and shame flowing from him, but wisely he did not try to explain.

"I tried to alert them, Bastien. But you must remember that at the time I was still undercover and could not go against the majority. The same with Emmett. Remember that Carlisle was very biased when it came to his supposed venom family. Edward always took precedence over everyone and his word was law. Carlisle decided to listen to Edward when he said that he did not think that Victoria or Laurent was to cause problems to the family or to Isabella. So, I had my hands tied if I wanted to keep my cover. I wonder now if Alice knew anything. If she did she did not informed me. All I could do at the time was to increase my surveillance, run patrols and put the price on the surviving mate's head."

We were all lost in thought when the phone rang. Bastien picked up the phone.

"Whitlock House. Bastien Carrebache speaking."

"Mr. Carrebache. This is Arata, leader of the Black Thunder coven. My I speak with Major Whitlock?" _What?_ Maria's mate wanting to speak to me? I nodded and indicated for Bastien to put it on speaker.

"Hello Arata. It has been a long time. Is something the matter?"

"Hello Major. Yes, it has been a long time. We heard the news and would like to say our congratulations to you. The Volturi could not have named someone better for the job. "

"Thank you Arata. Both you and your coven are welcome to come and visit us." It is not as if I wanted too much contact with Maria. She always caused more trouble than she was worth.

"We will. Thank you. I have however a more pressing business at hand. My mate has a need to speak to you about a matter that may concern your coven. I shall pass her to you."

"Hello Major," Maria gushed.

It had been a long time since I last spoke to her. She avoided me as much as she could and that only increased after she met her mate, in the person of an intimidating and harsh Maori warrior, chief of a coven in New Zealand. He had immediately subjugated her, made her abandon her territorial wars and ruled their household and coven with an iron fist.

"Hello Maria."I said courtly.

"Congratulations on your nomination. I always knew when I turned you that you would do great…" I heard the harsh growl of her mate and her muffled excuses.

"umm, I was hunting in Mexico City with my guard, while my mate attended to some business, when I came across a vampire. Her name was Victoria and she was looking for allies to fight against a pack of werewolves and a coven of vampires with golden eyes near Seattle, that protected a human girl named Isabella Swan, who had apparently killed her mate." She waited for her words to sink in. I fought with all of my might to contain the growl that was coming to my throat. I was right. The bitch was after MY MATE.

"Continue." I growled through clenched teeth.

"Well, I felt that there was something that she was not telling us. So I convinced her to come with us to discuss the matter with my mate. It was clear that she did not know of your position. We took her to one of my old hiding places that were abandoned since we moved to New Zealand. We managed to imprison her but she escaped." I roared in fury and I heard the yelp of fear of Maria.

"You let her escape! How? Was there anyone else with her?" I heard a shuffle and Maria's mumbled excuses.

"No, Major," Arata answered. "She was alone. She mentioned one Laurent and one Riley. I believe that they are her accomplices, but we found no traces of any other vampire in the area. Anyway she just managed to get through my mate when I went in to interrogate her. I have managed to rip her arm off and took a big chunk out of a leg. She is around here somewhere, but she might have a gift as I cannot find her." Arata answered.

"I will dispatch, immediately, some of my guards and a helicopter to go find her. Where are you located now?"

"We don't want any trouble because of this _perra_. We are two hundred miles outside Mexico City, in Santa Juanita. Please call when you arrive and I will meet your guards at the rendez-vous point to help your men track her. It was good to talk to you Major."

"Thank you Arata." I hung up.

"Bastien, take the helicopter and a tracker and go get that bitch. With such severe injuries she must be weak and easy to find. As soon as you find her, rip her to pieces and put them in a box. Leave no leaf unturned. I want her here."

"Oui mon capitain!" He left in a hurry. Peter was already picking up the internal phone.

"Peter, send someone to Forks and tell them to track from there in the direction of Seattle. That is where the big bulk of the disappearances are. Bring them alive." He smirked and transmitted the information.

I felt myself relax slightly, things were looking better.

The rest of the day was spent receiving the guests. Many of the questions that I was called to answer were concerning the new laws that had been sent to all of those that had permanent and known addresses. And I had to give a helping hand with the logistical problems that came from having so many vampires in one single place.

I briefly met with my brother's in arms representatives, all of which were known to me, and I was happy that all of them had their own houses almost ready. Soon the vampire world would be organized and stepping into the twenty first century and all off our hard work would pay off.

I took time to check personally the Masters quarters and found them excellent. We had even added a small library dedicated to Anglo American literature and a small private screening room filled with their favorite kind of movies. Marcus's quarters included a state of the art play room, as well as all the other facilities necessary for his life style. After all this was their home away from home. I wanted them to feel at home like in Volterra.

I took special care and a little more time to greet the Eastern Europe Governors, Stefan and Vladimir, after all they were as close as family to my Masters and had been the rulers of the vampire race for thousands of years before they voluntarily stepped aside. They were much older than the Volturi and it was not often that they left their castle in the Carpathian Mountains. For them to have come to my announcement it was truly an honor.

By the end of the afternoon I was already on edge. Tonight the Masters would arrive and I had to take my time with them even if all I wanted was to feel my mate, my woman against me. This was to be her first official appearance. I wanted all to be perfect. I wanted them to love her and see her as I do.

As I looked at my desk, almost crumbling with documents and files that needed my attention I let my mind wander. My Isabella. My mate. My woman. The ordeal with her father and the loss of her human life in the way that had happened, only served to give her an insight and depth that made her much older than her biological age.

I wanted to thank every deity in the world for giving her to me. I was ready to endure all the blue balls in the universe for the chance to claim her as mine according to the laws and tradition, as she deserved. Even though every day was a struggle to not claim her, I took comfort in knowing that she smelled of me constantly now. My _aqua di amori_ impregnated her body and calmed my urges. Every day I had to fight against my beast that wanted to change her soon. And yet her birthday next month seemed so far away yet.

But I was strong and I would not take away her opportunity of wearing the virginal white gown in our binding ceremony and to show the whole world that she was pure and untouched by any other male. The thought just made me purr, earning me an amused chuckle from Peter.

"Hum…someone is thinking about a delicious brunette," He said playfully taking me away from my dream.

"Shut up," I growled harshly at him not liking that he was thinking that way about my mate. Jealousy flared in me at the thought that he might want her, making my growl turn darker and menacing.

"Read my emotions Jasper. She is my beloved sister. Nothing else! " I scanned his feelings and there it was: affection and familial love, mischief and amusement. Nothing more.

"It feels good to rile you up, bro!" he chuckled.

"Maybe once you lose a limb you will not find it so amusing." I snapped at him grudgingly.

By sunset we took a quick shower in headquarters and changed into our formal clothes; the black uniform that from now on every member of the Volturi was ordered to use when on duty: black straight pants, black shirt and black jacket.

Our station within the coven indicated by the tiny stars circling the Volturi's V placed on the left collar of the shirt. Mine had five. We complemented our uniforms with the floor length black cloak.

A few minutes later we got the news that the Master's plane was arriving and at the same time I heard the sound that had became the center of my world, and a familiar scent made all of my senses came alive. My woman.

_Our mate. Now she is ours no one else's._ My beast growled quietly.

I got up and went to the door opening it before she could knock. She was accompanied by Alexis, Rose and a member of the guard. She gaped at me in my uniform and I felt her lust and desire. _Humm…our woman likes us in a uniform!_ I had to take her out of her ogling before things become complicated. Now was not the time and the scent of her arousal was slowly invading the room.

"Hello darling, I am very happy to see you too." I chuckled making her know that her staring at me had been caught. She snapped her eyes back to my face and a wonderful blush spread through her skin. She swallowed a couple of times before speaking.

"I…hum…I…I asked Rose to come here so that we could go meet the Masters together. Is that alright?"

She smiled shyly at me as I looked her up and down. Her hair hung loose in lovely curls. Her makeup was light but they had done something to her eyes that made them look deep and mysterious. She was stunning. She was wearing a deep red silk blouse and a small black coat that hugged her figure as if it was painted on her. Her black knee pencil skirt and black high heels made my head swim with desire. Damn, she looked hot as she l in my arms clearly happy with my hanging mouth.

"Oh, it is more than alright sweetie; you can come to visit me dressed like that every time you want!" She blushed even harder and I just had to kiss her, reveling in the delight and all encompassing love that she felt.

A throat clearing took us out of our passionate interlude.

"Sorry to interrupt but we better be going. They are about to land." I picked my woman up as we ran to the airfield, the others right behind us. The plane was coming to a halt in front of the guard and guests.

We took our position in front of the guard. Peter, my second in command by my right side. Isabella was on my left side, slightly behind me as the future Lady of Whitlock House, Charlotte in the same position by Peter's side as the First Mother of our coven. As I felt my mate's nerves, I sent her a wave of calm and smiled when she sent some gratitude. She was learning.

The doors of the plane opened and under polite clapping from the guests and the sound of attention from the guard the three Volturi came down. Marcus was the first, and as always, he took my breath away with his aura of power and strength. I felt the admiration and submission of all of those present. He quietly came down, followed by Aro and by Caius. I saw no sign of Alice, so maybe she was not allowed to come?

All of them took in their surroundings and I felt their approval at what they were seeing. They stopped by Stefan and Vladimir and we all watched as they embraced and exchanged heartfelt words. They were genuinely happy to see each other.

They came to me and as I bowed to them I felt Aro's approval and amusement. He always acted as the head of the coven and only a few knew that the power was equally divided, they truly were a triad.

They stood in front of me as I straightened up and greeted them.

"Welcome to Whitlock House, Masters of the Volturi. Our house is your house." And then as one the whole guard and I spoke as one, "Insieme per eternità nella legge, nella giustizia e nelle pace!" I felt their approval and satisfaction even before seeing their smiles.

"It is truly a pleasure to come here and see how far your House has come, mio subdito!" Aro said as he and his brother's passed review to the flawless lines of my guard.

I stood at attention as I saw the Masters checking them. I was proud of my men. They truly were a sight to behold. Handpicked by me and Peter they were fierce, loyal, and maybe the best fighters in the world. In my guard not having a gift wasn't a handicap. I welcomed any fighter that was loyal, honest and hard working.

Feeling pleased the three Masters came back to stand in front of me and lifting their left hands as one they responded to our salute.

"Well done Whitlock House. Together for eternity in law, justice and peace." We all bowed to their salute and with that it was over.

The guard dispersed and the guests politely stood at bay, mingling with them and leaving the high ranks to talk. Tonight was a beautiful night and beverage was being served to all.

It was time for introductions and now it was the time for my Isabella to stand in the spot light. I knew that the girls had trained her for this but I could feel her nervousness. Hell, I think we could hear the frantic drum of her heartbeat all over the airfield. I sent her a small wave of calm and determination and heard her sigh as it worked. I gestured for her to come forth.

"Masters, it is my honor and privilege to introduce to you the future Lady of the Whitlock House, Miss Isabella Swan."

As she had been taught, she curtsied elegantly, and blushed madly as one by one the Masters kissed her hand. I saw their appraisal of her and Marcus especially was delighted with her timid demure. Under his breath I heard Aro hiss in a surprised way. "She is silent to me. A gifted one, Jasper. You chose well!" But it was Caius that spoke first.

"My dear Jasper, you really managed to find a mate that is a jewel. You are a very lucky man to have such a beautiful and sweet mate." The comment was followed by Aro's nodding and Marcus smile of approval, who still had my mate's hand in his. She was redder than a tomato, embarrassment and incredulity flowing from her.

"Si, mio figlio, I am very happy with the mate that the God's have reserved for you. Isabella, "Marcus said addressing her and lifting her chin," Jasper is the son I never had, and I love him as such and I know that he loves me like a father too."" I sent him the love and admiration that I had for him making him chuckle a bit. "I hope that with time you can become my daughter, as you are already family." With a chaste kiss to her cheek he handed her over to me. She just looked surprised and humbled by their welcome and his words.

I waited a few seconds for her to compose herself and then, with a light squeeze to her hand, I reminded her of her duties. She straightened up, reaching for the tray of crystal glasses and picking up one. I saw her fight her nausea as she handed each of the Masters a glass of the finest blood that we could find. In their case, we had managed to discover their tastes in alcoholic beverages and we mixed them in their blood. Grappa for Marcus and Aro, and whiskey for Caius. After being sure that everyone was served she lifted her own glass. I smelled tomato and something else, maybe Vodka. I looked at Charlotte in question and she smirked at me. _Shit, I hope she doesn't get drunk!_

"Thank you for honoring us with your presence, My Lord's. Welcome to our house. May your stay be filled with nothing else but contentment and happiness!" She recited the welcoming formula flawlessly and I sent her my pride as we all drank.

The rest of the night passed with mingling with the guests. Isabella almost never left my side, only leaving when one of the Masters or our family requested her company. The Masters were trying to get to know her and were intrigued by how at ease she was amongst our kind. Every once in a while I could feel aburst of anger from her but when I asked the why, she only said."_Just another one of Edward's lies_, _the Volturi are nothing like he painted them._" I just let her stew on that realization.

I had a hard time keeping my hands to myself though, because my mate _really, really_ liked to see me in my uniform. I had to block her lusty feelings from me all the while keeping a calm façade. She was driving me insane with her subtle looks and horny emotions.

She was presented to most of the covens present and always had a kind word or a witty comment that showed how well she had studied our world under the tutoring of Charlotte and Alexis. She behaved admirable in her first duty and some of those that already knew her as Carmen and Eleazar commended her progress and sympathy. At midnight I could feel her exhaustion and I knew that she could not take anymore. I was approached by Marcus before I could reach Carmen and Antonio with whom she was currently speaking.

"Ah, Jasper, what a wonderful woman you have found, mio figlio. I am very pleased with her. Her bonds to you and your house are bright and amazing to watch. She will make a wonderful vampire and an excellent mate and wife. But if I know the human expressions she is currently displaying, she is dead on her feet. I am sure everyone will understand that she needs to rest."

"Yes Master. I will ask Rosalie and Emmett to accompany her."

I approached Emmet that was in deep talk with Rose, Kate, Tanya and Draco.

"Sorry to interrupt. Emmett, Rose can you take Isabella home? She is asleep on her feet and she must wake up early tomorrow." Rosalie smiled and nodded before Tanya interrupted.

"Excuse me Jasper, but can we go too? We would like to continue our discussion with Rose, and we can help watch Isabella."

"Yes you may, you know that you are always welcome in my house." I left them to go retrieve my mate. I approached her and took her hand in mine, lifting it to my lips reveling in her delight.

"Isabella. I can feel how tired you are and you have to go to bed, tomorrow we have a big day and you must rest." I could feel her relief warring with her sense of duty.

"But the party Jasper, it is rude for me to go home and leave our guests even if my feet are killing me." She giggled on the last words making me want to jump her. I took a deep breath and sighed, my night would be a long one without her.

"We will make your excuses, everyone will understand."

"Do you wanna do it? I am too tired." She said sheepishly. I chuckled at her antics giving her a peck on the lips.

I lifted my voice above the soft music and chatter of our guests. Isabella held my hand with her head held high and a smile upon her lips despite her tiredness.

"My dear guests. It is an honor to have you all here, but for my mate it is time to call it a night. In her behalf, I thank you all for you presence and she wishes to bid you all a good night." From all around I felt amusement and understanding. Even some jealousy and longing. _Ah…how many of us would give anything for a good night sleep._

After a last kiss I saw Emmett taking her away followed closely by Rose and the Denali girls. The party continued throughout the night and only when the sun was about to rise we called quits, each vampire returning to their assigned dwellings to prepare for the day.

I made my way to our house. The girls, minus Charlotte, who was installing the Masters in their quarters, were talking in the living room and I made my way silently to our bedroom. I heard them saying that Alice had been sent directly to the playroom by Marcus as a punishment for bad behavior. _So…she was here_. I could not see Marcus leaving her unsupervised in Volterra so soon in the beginning of her training.

I entered the bedroom and saw my mate sleeping soundly on our bed and for a few moments I let myself just admire her beauty and innocence. Soon, I would change her and these precious human moments would be over. I went to the shower and let the hot water soothe my body and mind. Later at ten o'clock I would accept my nomination as Governor in a quick ceremony in the great temple and immediately afterwards we would start the trial of the Cullen Coven. I finished my shower and got dressed in my uniform deciding to let my mate sleep a little more. I made my way to my study; I wanted to know how the retrieving teams were doing. All was well, Bastien was coming back already with Victoria and the team dispatched to Washington was still searching for her accomplices.

A little while later, I heard Charlotte make her way to my bedroom and gently awake my mate. She had to get ready for the day and once again stand by my side as the Lady of the House.

By nine thirty we were ready to leave and Peter and I were waiting for our mates. I could feel the congregation of emotional signatures coming from the Great Temple. Rosalie and Emmett were already there and we were the last ones in the house. Charlotte came down first in her ceremonial First Mother black and white robes sweeping the floor as she walked. Her golden hair was pulled up showing to everyone the colored tattoo on the side of her neck that all First Mothers had. She walked over to Peter and he held her hand while looking deeply into her eyes.

I felt the deep love and completion that only true mates had and it warmed me. His hand lifted and caressed the small gold chain and the diamond with his initials that he had given her when they bonded. He then bent over to give a kiss on his bite mark on her neck. I had never seen them look so regal and so serious and the sight of them made me proud. This was their ceremony too. We had fought long and hard to be here and this was our prize.

But all thoughts of our achievement were blown away by the sight of my mate. When I saw her I could not believe my eyes. She looked like a princess. She was wearing a burgundy knee length dress with a very classic cut that fit her perfectly. Her hair was up in an elegant fashion similar to Charlotte's and showed her slender, creamy white pale neck. I approached her and retrieved from my pocket, the gift that I had for her.

"You look wonderful my mate. A sight to behold. There is only one thing missing." She was flushed from my compliment of her beauty but soon the embarrassment turned to curiosity and then slight anger when she saw the black rectangular box. I opened it and retrieved the gold and ruby chocker that I had bought for her. She tried to protest but a quick glare from me shut her.

"Not a word Isabella. I won't put up with your nonsense today. If someone wants to give you a gift you accept it graciously and shut up. It is not as if we are poor and I cannot buy my mate a pretty thing for her to wear on my special day."

I could feel from her emotions that she was not happy but wisely she just shut up.

I tied it to her neck and stepped aside to admire it. It looked perfect on her. I tuned her towards one of the mirrors and her eyes widened. The red blood small stones contrasting wonderfully with her pale complexion. She looked perfect. She was perfect. She touched the stones lovingly.

"Even though you know I don't like people pending money on me, thank you Jasper. It's beautiful and I am proud to wear it today." I felt her love and adoration pour from her as she looked into my eyes.

"No need to thank me. I love to spoil you rotten. Now let's go. Soon the ceremony will begin. Do you know what to do today?"

She looked at me and her hand came to caress my face.

"I know." She smiled and looked at me patiently. "I am to stay near the thrones with Charlotte. For the rest I am to follow Charlotte's lead." I nodded, pecking her lips. It was time. I looked at Charlotte and Peter and saw that they were ready.

"Let's go." I nodded to Peter to pick my ceremonial sword made of a league of titanium and diamond, and capable of severing the limb of a vampire. It was mostly for ceremonial purposes but Aro liked it, so all the guards had one.

I picked up my mate and within a few minutes we were in the small boat. We crossed the lake and once upon the shore we saw, hidden under the thick, lush canopy of trees, the Great Temple. It was like looking at the past.

A huge stone dome stood in the center of a clearing in the trees. The dome had been covered with live vegetation so it blended in perfectly with her surroundings. You had to be ground level and near it to see that it was there despite its size, roughly a five floor building. The top of the dome reached the highest peak of the highest tree. From the entrance two separate stone paths led to two buildings. From where I stood I could see the columns of the entrance of both the House of Men and of the House of Women on each side of it. The entrance door was guarded by a stone black dragon, symbol of the animal buried inside of us.

A deep gong coming from inside signaled for the ceremony to begin. I let my mate go with a kiss and I watched Charlotte and her going inside while I waited outside for my call with Peter by my side.

A few minutes later the deep sounds of the gong echoed again in the silent forest and a voice as deep as the ocean and as commanding as a king called my name. _Marcus!My father!_

"Jasper Christian Whitlock, Master of the Whitlock House, come forward."

Taking a deep, but really unneeded breath I walked inside, Peter behind me, holding my ceremonial sword as my second in command.

Even though I had been present when it was designed and it was a copy of the Great Temple beneath Volterra, and I had accompanied its construction, it still filled me with awe. The entire dome was covered in black marble from top to bottom.

On the far wall, there was an opening in the top that shed a long, thick ray of sun that lit up the statue of the First Ones. A perfect, beautiful naked man and a woman, obviously vampire mates, held each other hands while looking down at us, a small smile in their perfect features. At their feet, on the last of a five step dais in front of the three white thrones were my Masters, the Volturi. On the first step of the dais, a smaller arm chair stood empty - my chair for when they were not here. My mate was standing slightly to the left of the thrones, Charlotte by her side. A smile barely concealed on their faces. My mate was bursting with pride and almost bouncing on her feet. I saw Charlotte put a hand on her shoulder and squeeze a bit for her to control herself.

As I walked towards them, my peripheral vision took note of the surroundings. In here, there were no other chairs or benches, everyone stood, I saw among the audience Carlisle and Esme, who looked uncomfortable with a guard by their side, and Rosalie and Emmett. Some of my Guard was positioned at regular intervals all along the walls, standing at attention and keeping an eye on the guests.

In the middle of the Temple a huge pit of fire glowed and added solemnity to the atmosphere. Fire was the bane of vampire existence. Once it touched any part of our skin it would do permanent damage. Everyone knew that this was the place were those found guilty would meet their doom. And I caught many eyes looking at it apprehensively.

Surrounding the pit of fire, three concentric circles of water evoked the need for purification before meeting death. This was where the center of the vampire life was played. This was a place of prayer, of life and of death. I noticed the hundreds of vampires in the audience and my knees almost buckled under the strain of their anticipation. I summoned all of my strength to block the emotions coming from them as I walked towards the thrones.

As I reached the dais, right in front of what would be my chair, I kneeled on the stone floor and waited.

A baritone voice echoed in the silence. _Aro!_

"A new world is coming. A world where our kind, where our race, will have to learn and live in a civilized manner, respecting the traditions of our civilization and of our race; a world where we will live by the laws that were made to protect our world and where we will face the consequences of the breaching of those laws; a world where we can learn and transmit the knowledge to others; a world where we, the members of the vampire race can understand the rapid technological development of the human world and use it." He paused to look all around the temple; the determination and absolute conviction in his words making me tremble.

"A world where we must embrace the fact that the human race is not as weak as it once was. A world where we must learn to respect them and their intelligence and to be on our guard because, for the first time in history they are the ones that effectively control this world. We are only the top of the food chain, but we are not the dominant species anymore. We must not be left behind. We have to stop living in a state of ignorance of their world and its evolution; if we want to survive we must stop considering them only as cattle. Because they now have the means to discover our existence and kill us before we can prevent it." He paused again to let the information slip into the astonished vampires present.

"With the new vampire world that we are creating, we will be able to keep the evolution of the human world at our reach and to keep our society and its traditions intact. Our race will be able to maintain our secret world and we will be able to survive. Embracing our position on this planet and secretly participating in the scientific development will give us a brand new start. And that new beginning will be able to, one day, give our race the stars." He finished with his arms open wide and I could not help it as stated clapping, even though protocol demanded that I kept silent. A huge round of applause came from all around. Even the guard was applauding. I could feel it: the anticipation, the enthusiasm, the awe at what was being said. Aro cleared his throat and took a step back feeling pretty pleased with himself. Caius moved to the center.

"This new world will come at a price. The law will be enforced. The crimes will be punished. The non compliance and the disobedience will be handled. Make no mistakes, this path is to be taken seriously. No longer will the ignorance of the law be used as an excuse to commit any kind of atrocities against humans or vampires. We have courtrooms, laws and people who will enforce them in every continent. We will have schools and every living vampire will be forced to attend and learn the laws. Any exposure of our world will be considered criminal. You will have to take care in your dealings with humans, either when you do business or when you feed. You, that are present here, go and spread the word. Any attempt to subvert our laws will be dealt with the utmost severity. The knowledge of the laws, traditions and way of life will be a mandatory party on the creation of every new vampire." He too paused to look at the audience, and this time I could feel the fear that Caius inspired. Imposing in his black cloak, his expression fierce, it was clear why he was so feared. In his vocabulary the word mercy and compassion did not exist. Marcus came forward.

"A new world rises. An organized world, a civilized, spiritual world. A world where many of you will finally have access to something that you thought was lost to you when you turned: a sense of purpose in eternity and a new awareness of our nature. We want to give our kind the knowledge that they are not alone and that we do belong and deserve to be here. We are not monsters! We are simply another life form with a different biochemistry. That does not make us dead, only different. We want to show you that we have souls. How could we not have them if we are as alive as every other creature on this world? When we can love, and hate and fear, and marvel at the wonders that surround us? When we have evidences of the love that the God's bestow upon us and when we can dream and wish for a better future?"

"All of this is at your reach. Join us. Come to our Houses and learn. Our Houses are open for anyone who wants to learn and who wants to improve himself. You can even give back little mercies to the human world. You can feed on their criminals, or you can help those who cannot defend themselves. There is so much that you can do, and so much that you can learn with us."

"This is our dream. A world that shines brightly in our vision. A world that maybe one day, in a not so far away future will give us another planet where we don't have to hide our true nature and where we can live at our hearts content." He too paused with a smile on his lips as I mused over this. We had talked that one of their dreams was that one day; with the conquest of space we could find a world able to support our race.

"The path to create that new world will rest upon the shoulder of our Warlords. All over the world vampires loyal to the Volturi are creating their houses and their guards. They will enforce the law in the name of the Volturi and they will not fail their missions. These highly trained vampires conciliate the ways of our race with all of the good things that the human world has to offer. They are men like us that were trained to help and to teach. But that will also protect our world and our people in the name of the Volturi law. Today we present the first of those guides; a man that has given countless proofs of his honor, valor and loyalty. The man to whom we hand the ruling in our name of the American continent." He looked at me and in his usually stern face I could see a soft smile. He placed his hand briefly on my head as if in a blessing.

"Jasper Christian Whitlock, we the Volturi, the ancients of our race, lay upon your shoulder the burden of upholding our laws and of protecting our world. Do you wish to consecrate your eternity to the task, to forsake any other Masters and to give your life to protect our way of life?"

"I do. By my honor and by the venom that runs in my veins." I said loudly.

I heard Aro and Caius approach and heard the noise of their swords being unsheathed.

I lowered the back of my head in a show of humility and trust.

Cold, shining blades lay upon my shoulder and I felt the gold chain with the Volturi pendant slide over my head. I heard Marcus words.

"In you and your house we delegate the power of life and death. May your rule be strong but fair! Rise, my son." I rose to my feet as the Governor of the Americas. I heard the polite applause as it echoed within the stone walls. I could feel a wide range of emotions. Fear, awe, amusement, determination, loyalty, jealousy and so on. I had to put on my mental blocks to help me keep a straight mind. I chanced a look to my mate and she was grinning as she too clapped.

Aro and Caius turned me and made me sat on my chair, they both standing by my side as Marcus positioned himself behind me.

"A new world comes to light today with the Whitlock House and its Master. A reward for loyalty, strength of character and perseverance. His voice is ours and his words are law. But for such a task one must always have someone to help. Who shares the burden of this vampire?"

Peter came forward and knelt in front of us.

"I do. For my sire, for my commander, for my brother." I sent him my gratitude as no words were needed for the two of us.

"Will you help him stand when he falls? Will you stay by his side always? Give him strength when his own falters and protect him when no one else will? Do you swear upon your honor, your venom and your life?"

"I do. By my honor and by the venom that runs in my veins." His voice echoed in the walls and I saw his shoulders tremble when the Masters one by one put their hand upon his head accepting his sacrifice.

"Your offer has been accepted, Peter Whitlock. Rise and stand by your Master. " He rose to his feet and walked over to me.

As one the their voices echoed in the silence.

"Vampires, pledge your allegiance to the new Governor of America, Jasper Christian Whitlock."

In an almost rehearsed movement, all vampires and human present in the room knelt and placed a hand over their hearts. The formal pledge of allegiance made me shiver as it was spoken by so many voices.

_We pledge our undying loyalty to Jasper Christian Whitlock, and to his House as the ruler of America in the name of the Volturi. _

_To the Ancient Masters and to him we will obey as if the God's themselves had ordered. _

_We offer our help in case of need, our support in troubled times and our commitment when asked._

_Forever and always_**. **

It was done.

The temple broke into loud applause and cheers. People were flocking to congratulate me and to talk. I knew that with my new position also came those who wanted to ingratiate in my good graces. But now there was only one person that I wanted with me.

I don't know how but I reached my mate. Charlotte was guarding her. In seconds I was in front of her and in the next microsecond my hands were buried in her hair, her body pulled flush to mine and my mouth was claiming hers. I kissed her with all that I had, supporting her body when her legs gave in under the onslaught of my passion. I wanted to claim her now, here, in front of all of them. I wanted to bury myself inside of her now and show everyone that she was mine and that this was my time of glory. I had my throne and my mate.

My life was perfect.

**A/N So….does anyone else is dreaming about Jasper, in a Volturi uniform? In all his glory as a Warlord…..Hummmm…..? I know I am…lolollllll**

Translations

*mio subdito – my vassal (my Google translator is not very reliable, but it's the closest word.)

*mio figlio – my son

*Grappa – Italian alcoholic beverage.


	32. Chapter 32

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** **mama4dukes has taken over as my beta in this story, but she is so terribly busy later that I did not had the heart to give this to her.** LetsJustDance is my pre reader and she betaed this chapter for me. Thank you my darling.

**The Warlord (uncensored version) Ad Vitam Aeternum (uncensored version) and Inevitable (improved and uncensored version) are also being posted in ****AO3 ****(archive of our own) under the same pen name.**

Chapter 32

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

I heard the noise of people calling my name, applauding and laughing at my display of affection for my mate, but honestly I didn't give a damn. I could feel the emotions all around me, awe, some jealousy and resentment, happiness, but mostly respect and amusement. I let my mate go when she started to have trouble breathing just for me to be swept away in a bone crushing hug from Emmett. Rose came next and then for the next hour my mate and I were in a whirlwind of hugs, congratulations and pats on the back. The only awkward moment happened when Carlisle and Esme came to congratulate me. Isabella turned her back on them; she couldn't find it in her heart to talk to them just yet, resenting Carlisle for his poor choices in life and of what blindly trusting Edward, and indulging in all of his whims had meant for her. I ignored the stab of pain and incomprehension that went through them as she walked away in Peter's company.

They tried to be subtle and inconspicuous but the news of their fall from grace had spread throughout the vampire world and they were easily recognized. The cheerful atmosphere calmed down a bit as Carlisle spoke, even though none was appearing to pay attention to us. Both had been invited by Aro even though they would stand trial later, so I had not opposed to their presence. In Aro's words:

'_I want them here so that they too can swear allegiance to you and for them to see your triumph!'_

"Congratulations, Jasper. I heard that this was something that you fought hard to achieve." He was stiff and bitter: worry, disappointment, betrayal, regret and grief clouding him as a blanket. He knew now that I had lied and spied on them and that my connection to the Volturi had been determinant in their current predicament. It all had been laid down in the open when they received the accusation manifest. I did not regret my mission, it had been necessary and in the end it was for the greater good.

I decided to be the better man and welcome them into my house, despite feeling nothing towards the two of them anymore.

"Thank you Carlisle and Esme. Yes, this is the recognition for many years of hard work and personal sacrifices to make our world a better one. But I don't regret a single moment of it."

Carlisle and Esme just nodded before leaving, escorted by one of my guards.

I turned around to see that my mate was talking softly with Aro and a few Volturi members and my good mood immediately vanished at what I saw. Aro looked smitten with my kitten, almost enraptured by her, standing too close to her, holding her hand between his, and an insane burst of jealousy racked my body when Aro kissed her knuckles making her blush furiously. His emotions were too excited and lusty for me to deal with them.

The action and his feelings were enough to make a low growl leave my chest as all males present in the temple became potential threats to my mate and to my claim on her. I wanted to show them that she was mine. The need to claim her in front of all of these covetous males that wanted to take my female from me became overwhelming. _Mate thieves! Kill them and claim her!_ My beast, roared, insane with jealousy and I lost my control.

The growl turned into a roar that made everyone near me to freeze in fear. I saw as my mate startled and locked eyes with me making my body tingled with want and the need to claim her right here, right now. To show them that she was mine!

_MINE!_

My sight tunneled towards her and in a second I had her in my arms kissing her senseless and purring to ease her scare at my sudden action. I faintly heard Charlotte and Peter trying to calm me down from a safe distance and felt the amusement of the audience but I could not give a damn. I cornered my mate against the far wall of the temple where we had more privacy and I could defend her from the other males.

My hands went to her dress and ripped it from her, all the while using my body to shield the view of her almost naked form from others. I devoured her. My mouth swallowing her moans, my hands grabbing and touching all of her that I could. She was mine!

I had been denied for so long thanks to those God damned First Mothers, their stupid rules and my blasted morals. Fuck that now!

Her lust and desire was a match to my own and I knew that this was it. Not the ideal situation but I couldn't give a damn about it now. A corner of my mind heard Charlottes frantic pleas to Marcus to stop me and as a precaution I sent a huge wave of the lust that I was feeling to the room and I felt my triumph when the amusement and worry died and were replaced by need and want.

_Mine! And mine only!_

Suddenly I felt Marcus presence by my side, speaking in his Celtic language, the words foreign but strangely compelling and strong, and although I never learned it I understood what he was saying.

"Not like this, my son. She is innocent." The words made sense in some part of me but the instinctual side of my nature demanded the claiming and the destruction of my mentor for being so close to us. I growled louder and got ready to destroy the threat.

"I know what you are feeling. But now is not the moment. Do not taint the wonderful gift that she will give you one day by being so rash now, my son. Now is not the moment!"His soft words were full of care and concern and despite my haze they reached me.

The warning growl that left my chest was loud but I did not have it in me to attack him anymore. This man was my vampire father for all intents and purposes and I was bound to him by a deep love and affection. A power like I had never felt before reached me when he touched my arm softly and my lust and need lifted a bit and allowed me to think clearly again.

My passionate claiming of my mate slowed and became softer despite her protests and growing frustration. My little kitten was all for being claimed now. Here in the great temple, in front of everybody. Marcus kept softly telling me that I had nothing to fear and that this was not the way I wanted to take my mate for the first time. That Aro was only fascinated with her lack of fear, her immunity to his gift and her mature nature for someone so young.

I chuckled to myself as calm settled in me. Deep down I knew that they would never encroach on my territory, unless I allowed them to, as they respected and loved me, but the primal, instinctual part of me wanted to rip off their heads for coveting her. I made a mental note to see to it that neither Aro nor Caius got too much time alone with her. I knew that it was in their nature to covet all that could wear a skirt or even a pair of pants, but my mate had an aura of innocence around her that made her shine like a beacon, and I could feel how enchanted they were by her. Marcus was different though. I trusted him, she would be like a daughter to him but those two others had the sexual appetite of rabbits in heat and my mate was new and tender flesh to those old perverts.

_Only for us to take. Only for us!_ My beast growled.

Slowly I let go of her and grabbed the cloak that Marcus handed me, wrapping my mate tightly in it. My forehead touched hers and I basked in her emotions and love. She too had calmed, and even though her sexual frustration was high it mingled with understanding, lots of embarrassment and shame. I smiled at her and reveled in her flustered state. Her lips were swollen, her eyes bright, her hair seriously wild and she was blushing like mad. She was a vision of perfection.

From all around the temple I could feel understanding, amusement and embarrassment. This was normal male vampire behavior, and my honor was not touched by it. All male vampires felt it once in a while. The need to claim and to assure that our mate was ours, and only ours was instinctual, overwhelming and absolute.

"Isabella, I…well…"

"Shhh…Jasper…It is alright. I get it now!" She giggled, and as her blush intensified, I knew that she was not upset by this. I lifted an eyebrow indicating to her that I did not quite follow what she meant.

"It's all about being all jealous! You were jealous of Aro!" She said genially, a triumphant expression on her face. I just stared at her.

_Huh? What ?! _

She was grinning and nodding her head to Charlotte, giddy with whatever she had understood. Charlotte was looking at her with a loving smile and nodding her head in agreement, amusement filling her.

"You guys get all jealous when a male is near your female and you fear that she is going to leave you or that the other male is going to steal her, so you have to show off. You have to show that you are the big, badass male and that you can maim and kill all competition, and that she is yours and only yours. I once saw a show about some animals, and you behave just like them, only you don't have the huge fangs!" And with that she, Charlotte and the other females nearby busted out laughing, leaving me and the males who had listened to the exchange feeling a bit dumbfounded. I spent some minutes trying to figure out if I should be insulted or not by my sassy mate when she compared me to some animal.

I decided that it was better to give her pretty mouth a better use and pulled her to me to savor her once more, effectively ending the show that she and Charlotte were giving with their laughter.

Before I could lose myself in her again Charlotte cleared her throat and lifted her arms demanding that I give my Isabella to her, her eyes still bright with amusement.

"It is time. Peter is talking to the Quileute alpha. He won't be coming but will want to know what happened. And we must get ready for the trial."

Isabella looked at her and bit her lips shyly, a little bit of her earlier amusement reaching me.

"Humm…I better go!" Isabella laughed quietly as she pecked me in the lips. Charlotte took her and disappeared, going to meet Antonio that had brought a small plastic bag that he handed to Isabella. I immediately felt empty and cold. I took a few seconds to relax and to concentrate. My beast had surfaced, ready to claim my mate, and I almost couldn't control myself. This was not how I wanted her to lose her virginity. This was not the way I wanted her first time to be.

I looked at Marcus, who was still nearby, engulfing me in his power and affection.

"Thanks Father. It is getting harder not to claim her." He nodded in understanding.

"I know. You are showing a huge restraint. I just don't understand why you don't bind her to you now, my son. Most vampires do not wait. They bond as soon as they can find someone to do it."

"I know, but her birthday is in September. I wanted her to have some more time as a human, experience a bit more of life and the world, but she is making my resolution harder every day. She is a little minx." He laughed and tapped me on the back as my frustration reached him making me grin at his display of camaraderie.

"Yes, all good mates are like that!" he said with a knowing little smile. "But in the end we would not want them any other way." With a last pat on the back he walked away to join Aro and Caius on the dais. Both of them shot amused glances my way, clearly amused by my earlier display. I sent them a burst of resentment and shame and their amusement only increased. _Jerks! Both of them! _They were having fun at my expense.

I saw Peter trying to get my attention and as he pointed to the sky. I saw that the sun was high already. I nodded to him and he started to usher people to the places that they would occupy. I looked around to see that my mate was already dressed with decent clothes and seated near Carmen and Eleazar, clutching the plastic bag to her chest; she was not needed for the next few hours, and with them she would be safe. I had wanted to have her near me, on the dais, but she refused saying that it was too soon.

A loud gong echoed through the temple and everything quieted. The Ancient Elders – Stephan and Vladimir, sat in chairs near the Volturi Masters. I took my place behind the Masters, Peter by my side and Charlotte on the other.

The Masters would be conducting this trial by their request. Carlisle had been good friends of theirs a long time go, long before his hatred for our kind, nature and traditions had driven him away from all form of contact with our race.

A second gong sounded and Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Edward and Emmett walked in. Emmett had changed from his standard guard uniform. He and his mate had been exempt from appearing but they had wanted to be there. Not because of any loyalty towards the Cullen's but because Emmet's honor demanded it. Edward was being put to trial as an active participant in the coven's dynamics firstly and for stealing my mate later. Unfortunately his killing of my mate's father would go unpunished. It wasn't illegal to kill a human. Alice had never really been a Cullen and as a member of the Volturi her fate had already been decided.

They stood in front of the fire pit, lined up facing the thrones of the Volturi. Esme and Carlisle stood stoic and full of self righteous indignation, holding hands, borrowing each other's strength, but worry and concern flowed freely from them.

Edward was a strange shadow of his cocky self. His shoulders were slumped, his face was heavily scarred, and the hole where I had plucked his eye out was shut. His good eye scanned madly all around and the expression on his face was wild. His arm - the one that I had burned the nerve endings with my venom - twitched slightly every once in a while. He radiated fear, anger, hatred, distrust, disgust, loathing, denial, and a whole myriad of emotions that shifted so fast that I was unable of identify them. I quickly averted scanning him further as I could feel that he was slowly descending into madness and the strong and almost overwhelming emotions of such individuals were an empath's nightmare.

Emmett and Rose were subdued but held their head high staying a bit apart from the others. Many of my people and even some of the Volturi shot them looks of sympathy and pride as their story was by now, well known to all thanks to Charlotte's and Peter's efforts, but everyone understood that they wanted their past as a Cullen judged and for everyone to know that they were innocent in all of this.

A woman dressed as a First Mother walked from the crowd and placed herself on the first step of the dais facing the crowd and the accused. I recognized her as the jovial, happy Maggie from the Irish coven, long time allies of the Volturi. But now she was all but joyful and happy. She was here as a warranty that all that was said between these walls was the truth. A falsehood, a half truth would be denounced immediately by her. Beside her stood one of the most reclusive and powerful members of the Volturi:

Carlo Buonasera.

He was a vampire with the ability to transform the memories stored in someone's mind into images that could be seen by all. It demanded a huge effort on his part, so a chair was brought for him to seat. Demetri walked and stood by his side, ready to give him his memories of the facts for him to broadcast, as he had been present in all of our missions. I prepared myself for the onslaught of emotions. Everyone would see the images of the destruction and horror that the Cullen's beliefs had brought to our world as if they had been there. I worried about how my mate would take this and sent a prayer to Ares, so that her ability to block certain gifts would also block this one. Certain of the images that would be shown were of a cruelty and savagery that even a vampire had difficulty stomaching. But I knew that she was a strong little thing, and Carmen would take her away if she saw that she couldn't take it.

Aro stood from his throne and addressed the assembly of our race. The trial would be quick as he had already scanned all of the accused and shared his knowledge with his brothers. The Cullen's would hear their accusation and be allowed to defend themselves, before the sentence was passed by my Masters.

Aro's face was a mask of calm and authority that conveyed to everyone the seriousness of the event. We were about to put on trial one of the most respected, revered and known vampires in the world, and we were about to uncover the truth about his coven, his beliefs and his choice of diet. By the end of this, the Cullen name would be no longer respected. Of that I was well aware.

"We are gathered here in the territory of the Whitlock House to pass judgment on the coven of Carlisle Cullen. The coven, as many of you may know, is composed by Carlisle Cullen, his wife Esme Cullen, Edward Cullen, and until a few weeks ago by Emmett McCarty and his wife Rosalie Hale. There were to two more members, but they were placed inside the coven to gather information and never took an active part in any of the doings that will be exposed here."He cleared his throat to commence his tale.

"For the past fifty years we have been monitoring closely this coven and its practices in order to build a truthful and real portrait of what the Cullen coven is all about."

"The first call for alarm was brought to us in the late thirties of the twentieth century. We got a distressed call for help from a coven of four in Russia who had entered in a rage of bloodlust and decimated several villages in Siberia, exposing themselves to humans, who spoke openly in the newspapers and to the authorities of monsters drinking the blood of everyone. Unfortunately the exposure was of such magnitude that we had to end the lives of two hundred humans who eye witnessed the bloodshed, were turned or were changing, including children and women. Before meeting his end, the coven leader told us that they had been with Carlisle Cullen coven and that they had decided to heed Carlisle's convictions and to follow the vegetarian diet. After a year spent in their vicinity they had each followed their path, the Cullen's claiming that too many people of our kind living together would bring suspicion and that they were ready to go and live their normal lives, now free of the need to consume human blood. They parted as friends, with promises of spreading the word amongst our kind that there was an alternative to the killing of humans."

"Away from Carlisle's and Edward's controlling influence, vigilance and teachings, it only took them a few weeks to revert into creatures that could hardly maintain the self imposed diet. It seemed that their resistance to human blood was almost inexistent and after so long of constant starvation – let me remind you all, that it is well known that drinking the blood of an animal is never enough to completely fill you and give your body the necessary nutrients - their control was thwarted by a minor incident and the bloodlust of both females became uncontrollable. In a matter of hours they had slaughtered a whole village. Newborn vampires were accidentally created and were unknowingly left to fend for themselves with no guidance from their distraught and ignorant sires. When both males came to look for their mates, there was nothing that anyone could do and cleaning after them was impossible. Seeing the problem, the leader of the Meidvyed coven called us, as he needed help with the horror that they had caused, knowing that there was no way for them to escape unpunished." He took a deep breath to steady himself against the horrible images that we were all seeing. I chanced a look at my mate and saw her being hugged tightly by Carmen, her distress and sadness at what she was hearing clear in her emotions. I didn't think that she was seeing the images as I didn't detect in her the horror that was flowing from all others. Thank the Gods for her shield.

"The two males, Nicolay and Sergei were the only ones still alive when our team of operatives arrived. Their mates having perished in the newborn rage unable to defend themselves. They were horrified by what had happened, and, incapable of dealing with it, they asked for their deaths, not willing to live without their mates." I heard the low murmurs of acquiescence mingled with the sobs of several women present, coming from the audience.

I fought against the disgust, the horror, the incredulity and the anger that were flowing from the audience and sent some waves of tranquility and peace. Carlisle and Esme were floored, horrified, disgusted. They could not believe what was being shown. Edward was stoic, his cocktail of emotions had not changed, and it was as if it didn't register in his brain the gravity of the situation. Rosalie and Emmett were nauseous, even if they had been made already aware of the truth. Seeing children being burned because they were turning is enough to make even the toughest vampire puke.

"For the next fifty years we had to intervene in two other similar situations, with the same end results, all of them linked to the vegetarian diet. All of them turned into 'vegetarianism' by the active influence and teachings of Carlisle and Edward Cullen." He waited for the news to register into the appalled gathering.

No more images were shown, it had been enough. We had decided that exposing only one of the cases was enough. The horror and the savagery of what this accusation was, had been convened straight to the point if judging by the horrible expression on all the faces and the horror that I could feel emanating from everywhere.

"We sent two operatives in an undercover mission into Carlisle's coven a few years after the Meidvyed tragedy. Master Jasper Whitlock and 1st Class Guard Alice Brandon infiltrated the coven and gathered intelligence on them. They were able to see how the coven actively lived amongst humans, interacting and befriending people in the communities where they lived, and risking exposure daily. They were able to see that the Cullen coven lived by human standards, actively refusing any knowledge or interest in the ways and traditions of our race. They were able to see that Carlisle Cullen, as coven leader did not teach them anything concerning our world and only the bare minimum concerning our race. The mates never bonded their souls and the women lived lives of ignorance of their role, not understanding the why's of certain behaviors of their mates. The proof is that even the most instinctual parts of our race were erased and vilified, fought and denied at any coast. His fledglings were taught to hate and despise our world and leaders."

Stupefaction continued to hit me, followed by anger, hatred and fury as people turned to growl at the stoic Cullen's. I sent some powerful waves of tranquility and peace and was about to send some lethargy to control the angry crowd when Caius's tremendous roar managed to put a stop to all the noise, causing my body unconsciously to react to his crouched form, as unbidden images of the two of us, bodied writhing against each other in the throes of passion, flashed through my mind, making me painfully hard.

I took a deep breath and willed my body to calm down. I had a mate now. My Isabella! All these lustful thoughts towards other vampires needed to remain in the past. I doubted my Isabella would appreciate how much Caius's wild temper still arouses me. _But imagine if that arouses her too…and that she likes it… then_…my beast whispered in my head, jealousy and need warring inside of me, making me groan, and not helping my problem in the slightest. Gathering the last of my will power to control my urges I concentrated hard on Aro's words.

"Although all those that participated in the Cullen diet, and lived in the house shared common beliefs, two of them, here present, have been found innocent. They are Emmett McCarty and his mate Rosalie Hale McCarty; both of them Carlisle's fledglings. Despite being members of the coven, their opinions were always overlooked and their ignorance and fear of the real vampire world made them isolated in their opinions, and they will not be put to trial." He shot a small smile in their direction before continuing.

"Carlisle Cullen went as far as allowing his fledgling Edward Cullen to develop an infatuation with a human girl named Isabella Swan and to pursue a relationship with her, encouraging it and claiming the girl to be Edward's mate, despite the fact that his adopted son had no mating instincts or mating reactions towards her. This relationship was flaunted publicly to all the human community, despite the fact that Edward Cullen never had the desire to turn her into one of us and all but forbade his coven members from doing it…"

"My Isabella…"Edward moaned, possessiveness for my mate flooding him, making him blind to the fact that he was interrupting Aro and pissing me off.

Incapable of containing my fury I roared and had him by the throat in a second.

"Not a word about my mate, boy! Or you will see the end of this trial with your head separated from your body." In threw him on to the ground and smirked as he cowered away from me.

"As I was saying before being interrupted, young Isabella Swan was in fact Master Whitlock's mate, but due to several imperatives it was convened that he had to hold his claim while he was in his undercover mission. The total ignorance and scorn that the Cullen coven has for our race made Edward Cullen ignore the first marking of a human female mate; the scenting of her body, belongings and dwelling, to break into her house, to kill her father in a fit of rage and to kidnap her. "

I looked at my mate and saw that even though she was crying softly she was calm. Carmen was holding her protectively still and had everything under control.

"As you have seen, we now have evidence of the Cullen coven wrong doings over the years. In their defense I can say that from what I saw in Carlisle's and Esme's minds that they were and are absolutely convinced of the rightfulness of their convictions. They consider that feeding on humans is an abomination and that they were doing their sacred duty in converting others to their way of life. Their only wish was to somehow preserve a small part of their humanity and they thought that their choice of diet and of lifestyle is the right one. They never intended to do any harm and they often wondered why they had lost contact with the other followers of their diet. They, however, made no effort to try and contact them in fear of the Volturi turning their attention on them. "

He turned to look at Carlisle in the eye.

"Carlisle Cullen, you and your coven are accused of exposure. You ignore the laws that were made to protect our world and our race. In coveting their world and by living amongst humans, you constantly endanger our race by risking exposure. Our operatives related to us the huge number of times that you had to disappear following a mishap on your diet or a human who got suspicious. "

"Of this accusation I pronounce you guilty."Aro went to his chair and sat as Marcus got up and spoke.

"Cullen coven: You are accused of treason against our race. You deny your true nature and instincts and try to ignore them. You refuse contact with our race and refuse to learn all that concerns being a vampire. You refuse to participate in our world and in doing so you are ignorant of what our race is capable, of our beliefs and of our achievements. In denying us, you deny yourself and we can't be sure of your loyalty towards us. You systematically refuse to follow our laws. You despise and ignore them thinking yourself better than any of us only because of your diet. "

"Of this I find you guilty."He sat and Caius took the word.

"Cullen coven: You are accused of murder by omission. You actively spread your beliefs concerning vampire diet to naïve members of our race. You base your teachings on Carlisle Cullen's personal experience with blood and in your own, and without any true study on the applicability to other vampires of what he preaches. Our operatives and investigators came to the conclusion that that choice of diet only works if they never left Carlisle and Edward Cullen's vigilance and proximity. Anyone who left their proximity would go back to the old ways in mere weeks. Yet, you, Carlisle and Edward, actively convinced other covens to follow your path. You are indirectly responsible for the death of three covens this century. You are indirectly responsible for the collateral casualties of thousands of human lives, caused not only by the bloodlust of the collapsing covens, but also by those who had to be terminated at our hands." He took a deep breath. I could feel how angry he was with this. He may seem like an evil, cold bastard, but he never was in favor of useless deaths.

"You, the vegetarian vampires, who are considered as the champions of the human race, the most humane and compassionate coven; You, who are looked upon as the best of us, are nothing more than the misguided, arrogant minds that guided the hands that killed thousands of men, women and children."

This is the accusation of the Volturi. And of this I find you guilty."

By now, Esme's frantic sobs and whimpers were echoing in the temple, while Carlisle tried to calm her. Rose had her head burrowed into Emmett's chest and was crying softly. Edward seemed in a world of his own, scowling at nothing and growling softly, while his twitching hand played the tune of a silent music that only he could hear in the seam of his sleeve.

Caius threw a last glare into their direction and sat down.

Maggie cleared her throat.

"As the God's above are my witness all that was said and showed here concerning this subject was the truth and nothing but the truth."

Marcus stood and looked downward toward the Cullen's.

"Emmett and Rosalie McCarty, you were both found innocent of these deeds before this trial, yet you chose to stand by your former family and you have asked for the chance to speak your mind. You may come forward, my children!"

Emmett and Rose took a step forward and faced the assembled vampires.

"As you all are aware me and my mate were part of the Cullen family for the better part of the last seventy years. We are and will always be thankful to Carlisle for providing us with a second chance at life and we are grateful for his welcome into his family. He and Esme, his mate, tried their best to make us feel welcome and safe, and I can attest in front of all of you that both he and his mate didn't meant to hurt no one," he looked straight into Carlisle's eyes and I could feel the affection for his sire in there warring with a deep disappointment. Carlisle showed him a tiny, tight smile.

"And neither did I ever think that this horror could happen, and I can't stop but feeling that I am somewhat to blame. I should have fought harder for my beliefs. I should have questioned more and I should have had a more open mind. I should have followed my instincts or at least try to talk with outsiders about them. I simply accepted that in that household, the power was shared between Carlisle and Edward, and I went along with it. I accepted it. They were _older_ than me, _wiser,_ my mind told me. I know now that I was wrong. Even though Carlisle tried to make us all happy and cared for, our basic vampire needs and welfare were never met, only ignored and deemed as a savage instinct that was to be tamed. I was scolded when I behaved more like a vampire and less than a human. Hell, I was scolded whenever I needed to claim my mate, for Christ sake! I should have been a stronger vampire and questioned more. I should have made my point of view known and I should have fought harder. For that I am sorry." He looked really apologetic and I disseminated his apology towards everyone. He looked towards Carlisle again.

"I ask only one thing of you Carlisle, I ask that you accept what you are. Make your peace with it. Learn how to be a vampire. Forget that insane desire of being human. We are not human. We will never again be human. We are vampires. We drink blood. We are fast, strong, clever, and sometimes we are wild, and untamed and savage. But we are not monsters. We are not unnatural. We are not soulless creatures. We are not damned, nor are we demons! We have a place in this world, if we just accept it. I have accepted it, and you know what? I like what I am. I like what I am learning. I finally feel like I belong, that I have a purpose, that my eternity can have a meaning. And damn if it doesn't feel good to not be starved anymore, to eat what I want and to help the human world by killing their scum. I cannot forgive you for lying to me all of my vampire life, but I understand why you did it. So I beg of you, Carlisle. Forget the notions that you brought back with you from your human life and embrace this one, and, maybe, one day we can be friends again."

He bowed to the dais and grabbing his mate's hand went to join the rest of our coven members, leaving Carlisle, Edward and Esme behind.

Marcus stood and addressed Carlisle.

"We are not the monsters that you make us to be. You may now speak in your defense. If there is someone in this assembly that wishes to pledge your case they are also welcome. But remember, Carlisle, this is not the place to spread your ideology or your venom towards us." He went back to his seat and Carlisle advanced, leaving his mate near Edward, who was still in a world only he could see.

Carlisle looked around and faced the resentful faces in the assembly. He was feeling so much contradictory emotions that it was impossible to lock on his emotional state, but defeat, grief, sorrow, repentance, horror, regret, worry, disbelief and a overwhelming feeling of guilt that almost made me nauseous. He shook his head as if to clear his mind.

"I…we never meant for any of this horror to happen. I cannot deny the evidence of what I saw, but I swear to you all, on my honor, that I…we…were not aware of this. All those covens came to us because they wanted to try our diet and to change their habits and I wanted to help them. We taught them what we learned from our own experience and with only the best feelings in our hearts and we never thought that this could happen. I see now that I was wrong for assuming that other covens could maintain the diet away from us, and for that I am deeply sorry." He looked around to see if his words were making any effect and to convince us of his honesty.

"We never meant to break the laws, we only wanted to live in peace and preserve a little of our humanity. I alone am guilty of our lifestyle. I never wanted this eternal existence and to live in the human world with a family of some sorts, was a balm to my life. It made me feel that I still had a soul and that I mattered, and that I could erase or at least tame that primal, savage part of my being, if I didn't live in the vampire world, where that instinctual part is accepted and cherished. I just thought that if I moved away from the vampire world I could atone for my sins, that I could have a little piece of my soul back, that I could forget this beast that lives inside of me and that I could find peace again." He sighed deeply before continuing, and I was overwhelmed by a huge wave of guilt. Guilt like I had never felt and it made me look closely at him. He was hiding something, something that was slowly eating him alive and that was the real cause of his behavior. I looked at the Masters and felt that they too felt regret and something akin to understanding mixed with a little bit of compassion.

"I confess that I did not teach any of my fledglings about our true nature and about our world, because I thought that if they were unaware of our world they would have a better hold on to their humanity, and I thought that it was better for them to not be aware of their true nature and of our civilization" a low growl from Rose made him flinch before continuing "but I see now that I was wrong in my beliefs and in my actions, and I will carry this burden for the rest of my life. To know that my beliefs were the cause of so much death and pain and that those that I consider as my own children hate me for them is my punishment for daring to think that I knew better." I was surprised to feel his repentance and honesty. He meant every word he said.

"For my participation in this horror, another sin to add to my soul, I alone am responsible and I am willing to endure whatever punishment you decide to bestow upon me, but I beg you to spare my mate and my other children. They only followed what I taught them. I place myself at your mercy and I beg your forgiveness for the only family that I have left." He looked around one last time, and we all could see his eyes fill with venom and to feel his sincerity. He walked slowly back to his mate and son and pulled Esme into his arms. She was crying softly and assuring him that she would follow him to the end.

I got mixed emotions from the crowd now; the resentment, pity, understanding, disbelief and sorrow a thick cloud in the temple. The anger had dulled and mostly there was disappointment. He had been seen as the best of us for so long and only now, our world was seeing him as a man. Not an almost saint. Only a man, who screwed up and made mistakes just like the rest of us.

Maggie advanced again her voice strong and clear.

"As the God's above are my witness all that was said now concerning this subject was the truth and nothing but the truth."

Aro, Marcus and Caius stood. Aro was serious, Carlisle may have demonized and vilified him, but to Aro, Carlisle would always be a cherished friend and all of this mess around him hurt Aro deeply.

"You lived amongst us, in our house, as a dear friend, for the better part of thirty years. You were young and naïve and we took you under our wing, taught and protected you, until you decided to turn your back on us and our race. I cannot say that I am not disappointed with you and in your actions. We can't deny our nature, Carlisle. We are what we are and we are only demons if that is our choice. He shot Carlisle a look full of meaning before continuing.

"Your denial of your nature and of our world caused so much pain and sorrow, and brought the judgment of our race towards your coven. Usually the accusations that you faced would grant you and your coven the penalty of death, however, we know how sorry you are, and we know what a terrible toll on your soul all of these lost lives are. I have seen it in your thoughts. But we also know of your strength of character and we know your heart, as much as you have drifted apart from us. So, we have come to a conclusion." He looked at Marcus who took the word.

"You are guilty of the charges brought against you and you must be punished for them, but we will let you choose: eternal life with our coven in Volterra, submission to our laws, customs and traditions or death for you and your mate. It is your choice, and your choice alone Carlisle Cullen. Let no one say that the Volturi are anything but just." He went to sit on his throne leaving Carlisle dumbfounded, this kind of mercy was unexpected, but yet, the Master's were never ones to do the expected.

Carlisle stood still, his emotions warring within him making it impossible to get a clear reading, but over the always overwhelming guilt there was a flicker of hope, determination and a huge dose of fear. I could not tell what he was going to do as he gazed down at his sobbing mate with a mixture of adoration, despair and pain.

The assembly seemed to be holding its breath waiting for his decision. Edward stood by in front of him, looking at him sternly, and full of anger, self righteousness and loathing before losing control of his emotions at whatever Carlisle was thinking.

"You can't be se..erious! A life like this…with these monsters...is not worthy of us. We are s…superior. We tried to save them from this life; it…it is not our fault that they we…were weak. You know w…what your answer must be!" he stuttered angrily – a side effect of the pain that he was in because of the loss of his eye. I heard the gasps and the hisses from the assembly, and felt their anger at the imprudent, impolite, disrespectful boy.

Even now! Weakened by the venom loss and the pain that he would always feel in his body, he had not lost his sense of superiority and his loathing for us. I had noticed that for the last few minutes he had been looking around more, sniffing the air when he thought no one was looking, seemingly more aware of his surroundings. I knew what he was looking for. I looked around and saw my mate safely within the protection of Carmen's arms, tears rolling down her face.

I was surprised however by Carlisle's answer and by the tiny burst of anger that he felt at Edward's self righteous declaration.

"You never mated, Edward! If you had mated, you would know that in no way you would condemn your mate to death, especially if she is innocent. I will save my mate any way I can, it doesn't matter the personal cost to me. No matter what I have to do, or what beliefs I have to abandon. And those weak people, as you call them, were my friends, and I failed them! I will redeem myself anyway I can!" He spoke softly, a mere whisper in a voice loaded with pain and some anger. He looked down at Esme's broken form, clutched to his body, her sobs echoing in the room.

"I accept. Life with the Volturi for me, my mate and my…"_Hell no! No way_! But before I could react, he was interrupted by a severe Caius.

"No. The deal was for you and your mate, only. Edward Cullen will be punished for the kidnapping of Master Whitlock's mate. There is no appeal from…."he couldn't finish his speech because it seemed that hearing Carlisle's decision was too much for Edward to bear and he started fighting and screaming, having to be subdued by a member of the temple guards.

"Carlisle…You will damn yourself fu…further…you will be a…a monster…"

The guard forcefully shut him up and Caius continued.

"Carlisle and Esme Cullen you will be part of the Volturi until the end of time. You will live in Volterra where your mate will integrate the House of Women and learn all she needs to become a valid member of our race. You will integrate the House of Men and hopefully you will remember all that you forgot over the centuries and afterwards you will integrate the Volturi to the best of your abilities. Your interaction with the human world will be limited to the minimum for the next 1000 years. You will abandon your diet and will feed of human blood. We will offer you and your mate alternatives to the hunt and the killing of humans, if you so wish. This sentence is valid for as long as you both shall live." He nodded to a guard and they both were taken away. I knew that they would be taken to their cabin and leave only when the Volturi left.

The assembly was divided, some were happy that this was the outcome but others were feeling that the sentence was far too merciful for the crime. I scanned to see if I sensed some kind of betrayal but nothing like that stirred my gift. Just in case I sent the room some calm and acceptance.

Aro stood again.

"Bring forth Edward Cullen, who is to be punished for the kidnapping of a vampire's mate!" Edward was brought forth, still behaving like a rabid animal, but a quick burst of pain from me quieted him.

A/N I hope that you enjoyed the destiny that I gave Esme and Carlisle. Carlisle had never been confronted with the consequences of his actions and is truly repentant and horrified, and Esme is just docile and ignorant. I decided to give them a chance to live like real vampires do. So no more squirrel munching for them…loll and they must learn to be real vampires…can you imagine a dominating, feral Carlisle…hummm…tell me what you think.

And Emmett? What about what he told Carlisle? It seems that he finally found a place in the world.

And Bella? Was she too cruel towards Edward?

**I am very sorry for the delay in posting this chapter but RL is very complicated at the moment. Between work, school (I decided to go back to school last August, and between that, housework, husband and demanding son, I don't have much time to write. I can promise you, however, that all of my stories will be finished and that I use every ounce of free time that I have to write. Thank you so much for your patience and kind messages. **


	33. Chapter 33

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** **mama4dukes has taken over as my beta in this story, you all know who she is, so, go give her stories some love.** LetsJustDance is my pre reader and she also beta when she can and Mama4dukes is unavailable.

**The Warlord (uncensored version) Ad Vitam Aeternum (uncensored version) and Inevitable (improved and uncensored version) are also being posted in ****AO3 ****(archive of our own) under the same pen name.**

Chapter 33

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

**(cont.)**

_Aro stood again._

"_Bring forth Edward Cullen, who is to be punished for the crime of kidnapping of a vampire's mate!" Edward was brought forth, still behaving like a rabid animal, but a quick burst of pain from me quieted him._

Now

Aro looked at me and sent me his thanks as he looked on Edward with disgust before taking his seat and letting Marcus come forward. The assembly was curious but it was also evident that Edward had no friends in here. There were no friendly emotions directed towards him. There was an almost sick sense of anticipation, hatred, disgust and a strong need for vengeance emanating from the crowd, hanging in the air. They wanted an example, and his name was Edward's.

Even if most of the vampires present understood and accepted that most of this mess was greatly Carlisle's fault for sticking to a wrong set of morals and ideals and for not educating his "children" about our race, most still thought that with a gift like his, and being Carlisle's first fledgling and golden son, Edward must have been aware of the truth about our nature a long time ago, and just thought himself above such things.

But most of the vampires present were out for his blood, or better yet, venom, because he dared to break the most fundamental of all rules; a marked mate is sacred. It is untouchable to those who follow Volturi laws, and ignoring it meant war, death and destruction. It was not a rule made only by our society, but was a deeply engraved instinct buried deep inside every mated vampire. Our mate is our life. To take a mate away, to hurt her, to kill her meant our destruction and the destruction of everything and everyone that we love and cherish. And that happened to me, Jasper Whitlock, one of the meanest, strongest, and scariest of all vampires in the world. Someone had tried to take my mate away from me. If it could happen to me, were their own mates safe?

They all saw themselves in me. They all feared being in my place and all of their mating instincts were calling out for destruction of this menace and threat to all mates. Not only because he stole my Isabella, no, but that he could have set his eyes on another vampire's mate. They were all conscious that they weren't me, that they didn't have my strength or power and that they would have, without a doubt, lost their females, and that is an unbearable thought for any male.

We all watched as the temple guard subdued Edward and held him in place. I sent his way waves of defeat and compliance and he gradually calmed down enough for Marcus to address him.

"Edward Cullen, you are being put on trial for the kidnapping of Master Whitlock's mate, Isabella Swan." Edward snarled lowly, his good eye roving the room and wincing slightly, maybe in answer to the thoughts that he was hearing. Injustice and martyrdom were prominent now in his chaotic emotions.

"In our world one of the biggest crimes is to harm or separate mates. A mated female is cherished, protected, cared and loved with every fiber of her mate's being, and to separate a mated pair is to inflict the worst kind of pain and suffering possible, as very few vampires survive the loss of a mate. If they do, it is only to live a half life, never to feel complete or fulfilled again. The chances of ever finding a mate again are almost nonexistent." He stopped talking and an ancient, deep, overwhelming sadness flitted through him. I wanted nothing more than to go to him, embrace him and tell him that all was going to be okay, to ease his pain and sorrow. His brothers were about to jump from their seats to go and comfort him, worry and pain coming from them at seeing him so distraught, but I sent them a wave of patience. They stilled. They knew it was better to let him alone now. I felt the pity and compassion of everyone around us but did not send it to him. He would not appreciate it. It took him a few minutes, where no one breathed, before he got his emotions under control.

"The connection between mates is not random, it is a connection made by the Gods themselves to ease the loneliness of our eternity. It is their gift to our otherwise empty, lonely lives. It is the proof that we are not soulless, condemned creatures, for we too can love and be loved. The connection is deeper than falling in love, or to be connected physically. It is a soul bond that brings a vampire to his or her completion. It is an eternal bond that connects the souls of both individuals and it is absolute and unbreakable. Nothing can stop it, nothing can break it and nothing can destroy it. Not even death itself. Finding a mate is a wonderful miracle and the most extraordinary experience in the life of a vampire as it means the end of solitude."He turned to stare Edward down.

"I have already been shown your thoughts and I can only describe them as disgusting, immature and wrong. In your point of view, you were saving Isabella from becoming a monster like us and you were planning on keeping her human for the rest of her days away from her mate, no matter the costs, no matter the consequences or risks. She tried to talk to you, she begged you to let her go, but you refused, in your arrogance, to listen to her. You knew that she was not your mate, and yet, you refused to acknowledge that truth. For that fact alone you should be considered guilty and sentenced to die by the hands of the offended male."

"I will not even address your responsibility in Carlisle's crimes against our race because they have already been dealt with. You despise us, think of us as monsters, cruel demons, and immoral creatures because we follow our instincts and we accept this life that was given to us. Because we don't conform to the ideals that you are so fond of you class us as depraved and base creatures. Using this flawed logic you violated Isabella's will. You hid her from her mate. You caused her pain and abused her."He glared at Edward, fury in his countenance, making Edward shiver and slump his shoulders in shame. Despite Marcus more radical lifestyle he was not one to tolerate abuse of any kind towards an unwilling woman.

"You think of us as soulless creatures, incapable of feeling love, tenderness, joy or devotion, and you deny the overwhelming love and devotion that you see in the thoughts of mated pairs, only because you despise their choices. Or even between sire and fledgling just because you don't approve of their morals. We kill to survive, to feed, to maintain order, and you call us monsters because we prey on defenseless humans. But you seem to forget that for more than ten years you too were a murderer. You have killed in cold blood to satisfy your morals; you have murdered those you deemed guilty without a trial. How are you better than us? Why do you feel superior to us?" He stopped for a moment, his distress and loathing for the boy in front of him making it hard for him to stay focused. I knew that Aro had been upset when he had read the boys thoughts but he refused to discuss them with us, and he only shared what he saw with his brothers.

"I re…repented my way…ways…" Edward tried to argue, but a burst of misery from my part quickly silenced him. The growls of the assembly became louder, loathing filling the emotions of those present.

Edward had never been a beloved character; the few vampire acquaintances of the Cullen coven had deemed him to be an arrogant, nosy, insufferable boy, and were vocal to Carlisle about it. Carlisle, in his usual pacifying way, dismissed the flaws in his fledgling's character, attributing them to his youth and the impossibility of controlling his gift. He was wrong. The boy had an arrogance born of the high society circle and family where he was born, was sanctimonious, controlling, overbearing, judgmental, and had a holier than thou attitude. He thought himself better than others, simple as that.

Marcus nodded at me as I stood up to better control the crowd, and with precise and small gestures I directed the temple guard around to better cover the public and intervene in case it was needed, as I sent wave after wave of fear, compliance and obedience to them.

"And just because you stopped killing humans that makes you better than us? "Marcus continued, looking at him with contempt," I don't think so! We kill to eat. I have heard and seen how much you hate and despise what you are. You regret being a vampire and you loathe this life. You loathe all of us, even you parental figures. You are so full of yourself that you took a marked female that didn't belong to you, so that you could keep her human, saving her from a fate worse than death in your mind. You decided that she was best off as a human and as your companion. Your need to act upon your 'hero complex' has hurt the young mate of Master Whitlock deeply, killed her human father, took her away from her family and friends before time, and almost cost her life. But the Volturi also saw in your mind, that you, the all knowing Edward Cullen, are nothing but an ignorant vampire, because even though you were aware of most of the traditions of our world, you decided that that our world was unworthy of you. That is the main reason you helped Carlisle in his foolish endeavor. You can't understand what you see in the minds of others, not because you are unable but because you don't desire it. If you wanted to know and acknowledge the truth, you would know that the connection between mates is indestructible once the female accepts her male mate… even if she is human."

"Master Whitlock would have found his mate no matter what you did to her or how long you managed to keep her away from him. You are so ignorant that you did not know that her change of scent was due to the first marking of a male vampire towards his female. No matter that no matter how many times you bathed her it wouldn't go away. "Marcus shook his head in a disbelieving way.

"I can understand your infatuation with her. From your memories it appears you were so elated that she was not afraid of you that you immediately thought her to be your mate, even though you didn't experience any of the matting instincts in her presence. You were so lonely, so needy, jealous and desperate for attention from someone outside of your family that you didn't even consider that you could be wrong. You allowed your obsession for her blood and silent mind to grow until you lost control. When she broke up with you, you were incapable of accepting it and committed one of the worst crimes in our world; the kidnapping of a vampire's mate with intent of keeping her for your own."

Marcus then began to address the witnesses. "Of these facts you will, my brothers and sisters, become aware." At his nod Aro came forward and touched Carlo and immediately the images of all that had happened were shown, using Edward's own memories against him.

I said a thankful prayer to the Gods because my mate shield would keep her from relieving this nightmare, especially when it came to the events in her house and, later, in the small cave. I had never known exactly what had happened, as I hadn't questioned Edward, and Isabella wasn't conscious during most of it. However, seeing it through Edward's own memories brought me to a red haze of anger and fury that only Marcus soothing but strong hand on my arm kept me from acting on it. I was growling loudly, venom starting to drip down my chin, my body tensing for the kill. I don't know how Marcus knew that I needed him but I was glad that he had come to where I stood and calmed me. Otherwise, I would have thrown Edward Cullen, that mind-reading son of a bitch, into the flames. I was also so grateful that Carlo and Aro edited the images of my mate's naked body, showing only the forceful baths of ice cold water, and the bruises on her pale skin, preserving her modesty. I couldn't have handled it if she had been exposed before all of the witnesses.

I looked over to my mate and even though she couldn't see the images, she sat stiffly, tears running down her cheeks. She had an aura of dignity while hatred and determination flowed around her. She was, no doubt, remembering the events that had cost her father's life. When it was all over, the assembly was as astonished and angry as I.

Maggie advanced again her voice strong and clear.

"As the God's above are my witness all that was said and seen concerning this subject was the truth and nothing but the truth."

I saw Charlotte come to Aro and Marcus.

"Masters, Isabella Sawn would like to know if it is possible for her to say some words before you pass sentence." They looked surprised but then Marcus looked at me to see if I agreed.

I looked at Isabella and saw my mate looking back at me pleading with her yes for this opportunity to speak. She wanted to get it off her chest! It was all she could do since Edward was not going to be judged for killing her father, but only for taking another vampire's mate. I decided that at least she could say what she needed to, as a means of closure for her. I nodded my head to Marcus.

"Request granted, First Mother. Bring forth Isabella Swan." She went to Isabella and brought her to stand in front of us, far from Edward. She had covered her dress with a large red flannel, long sleeved shirt that was obviously her father's. Their scents mingled in the air. I felt her grief, her sorrow, her anger and pain. Her face was a mask void of emotions, but her eyes shone with tears and her hand clutched tightly to Charlotte's. I sent my Isabella a small wave of my affection and a little dose of bravery, but the mature way that my little mate was behaving was enough to make me very proud and pleased.

As soon as Edward saw her, elation, possessiveness and hunger flared within him and he started struggling against his restraints, cooing and trying to reach her.

I waited for the commotion to end as Edward was subdued by his guard. I sent him a wave of weakness that brought him to his knees moaning incoherently but quietly, looking at her with a stupid expression on his face.

Isabella looked at me and at my soft smile of encouragement she squared her shoulders and seemed to get a little taller as she faced the assembly. I kept sending her determination and courage and easing her grief to make it easier for her to do what she needed to do and with a deep, shuddering sigh as she began to speak… her voice small but clear.

"I know that under the rules of the vampire world, killing a human is nothing. I understand that the person that caused my father's death will not be punished for it, as he surely would if he were human. I understand it, even if it is difficult for me, as a human and a daughter, to accept it." She closed her eyes as tears rolled down her cheeks, and it took all the strength that I had to keep my cool and stay in my place.

"My father was a good man. He was brave and kind, and, even if he didn't show his emotions often he loved with his whole heart. I did not have much time with him, but we were trying to make up for the lost time before this happened." She hastily cleaned her tears with the back of her hands before looking down at Edward, who had his eyes locked on her face, his hands twitching to get to her.

"I will always blame myself for what happened to my dad. It was my decision to pursue the supernatural world and to get involved with it that brought vampires into his life. I am to blame for making the biggest mistake of my life when I accepted your attentions just to be close to Jasper, and I am guilty that I was too much of a coward to come clean and admit that I didn't love you and that I was in love with someone else. I am guilty of not setting things straight with you, for I feared that if I came clean and told everyone how desperately I loved Jasper that I would be thrown out of your family and lose all contact with him. But mostly I am to blame because I never thought that you could hurt me or my dad." I did a little happy dance at her public admission of her feelings for me and the smugness must have shown in my face because the bastard snarled at me. She bent down a little to look at him square in the eyes and the idiot smiled at her, delight running through him at having her attention.

"Love…t…that is ridicu..."He cooed to her, but before the guard could intervene, she stopped him with an imperious gesture and even I was surprised at her sense of command, as she effectively shut him up.

"I am to blame for letting you come near me and my father, and for leading you on, but I blame you for taking him away from me so soon. I could have had a few more years with him, even if it was a long distance relationship, by phone. He could have lived a normal life, a human life and even if I wasn't with him, I would know that he was okay, that he was alive. But you took it from me, from him. You think that you are superior, that you are better than humans and vampires alike, but you are not. You are a monster, a murderer, a killer, worse than any of those who are in here and that you despise so much. You took my father away from me, because of your temper, jealousy and stupidity." His smile had faded by now, and was replaced with a deep frown, denial, confusion and disbelief flowing from him. A bit of anger was also starting to build and I moved closer to my mate just in case he tried to do something stupid.

"You think that you know better than me, that you are better than us, but you are wrong. You are just a fool who knows nothing of life, of love, of pain or hardships. You think that you know everything because of your gift but you never lived through anything. You are a pitiful excuse of a creature, of a vampire and of a male. I have never hated anyone in my life, Edward, but I hate you. I hate everything about you. You took my daddy away from me; you took away my chance of saying goodbye to him, to my mother and to my friends. I will never have the chance to tell them that I loved them and that I was glad that they were in my life." I was almost bursting with pride for my brave, eloquent mate who had the whole vampire assembly in awe and hanging on her every word. I was hard at her display of hatred and indignation. So hard, that it was painful to feel the fabric straining against my cock. The seams of my trousers were threatening to rip. _Dams binding laws!_

Edward was growling by now, furious at what he was hearing and at my proximity to my Isabella, and possibly to my absolutely less than pure thoughts, and I let him stew on her words.

"I know that you won't be punished for killing him, but know this, Edward Cullen, I don't want you to die. I know you want to end the wretched life that you think you have. No, death is too good for you. I want you to suffer. I want his death on your conscience; because he was an innocent man and you no longer can claim that you only killed the guilty ones. I want it to haunt you! I will never, ever, forgive you for that. And I want you to know that! I want you to suffer, without a family or friends. I want you to feel my pain in your bones and to know that it was you who brought this fate upon yourself." Every single one of her words was a stab into his soul, and wounded him profoundly. And then without another look at him, she turned in my arms, looked me deeply in the eyes and sent me a wave of gratitude and love. A small peck on my lips and she was gone, straight in to Charlotte's open arms who then led her to her seat.

I focused on Edward's emotions and the longing, sadness, and possessiveness were now mingled with self-loathing, fury, horror, pain, a little regret, fear, defeat, heartbreak and self-pity. His shoulders slumped and he lowered his head to the ground in despair. My mate's words had made an impact on him.

Marcus began to speak again."You all have seen the evidence against Edward Cullen. As is his right, as the offended party, it is up to Master Whitlock to decide his fate." He went back to his seat, and I began circling Edward, taking great pleasure at his cowering, flinching form.

I could end the bastard. My beast snarled ways to dispose of him, enchanted with the weak prey.

_Kill him with a swift blow_.

_Shred him to little pieces, take time to make it hurt_.

_Burn him slowly, and make him watch_.

_Keep his head and limbs forever stored in boxes or hang his head on our office walls._

So many possibilities, a whirlwind of images and sounds of pain and torture in my head making me heady with anticipation! I had the right to fight him to the death. I had already done a number on him physically. He would hardly be a match for me in a fight now. He was weak and incapacitated. Not even his gift would work, as he had already found out, because I fought on instinct and he would not be able to read my moves in my thoughts.

"Kill me you…mon…monster…I have noth…nothing left….to live for. You took it…it all, do it!" Defeat, resignation, longing, need, satisfaction had replaced all the other emotions. He wanted to die. I felt nothing for the pitiful creature, reduced to begging for his death. I crouched low and lifted my hand in a claw ready to decapitate him.

I was hit with a strong burst of panic and knew immediately that it came from my mate. I looked at her and saw her mouthing something. I focused on her.

"Don't kill him, please!" And suddenly I could see her point. I couldn't understand why she had said that she wanted him to live. Hell, he killed her father, and for that alone she should want him dead. But now I could understand. Killing him would prove him right in his own mind. Killing him would not destroy him. He would find peace. The peace and liberation he craved so much. He would even gladly accept torture as he knew that it would lead to his death, and he longed for it because in his mind he would be paying for his sins and be free of this life.

'_Kill the useless waste of vampire venom. Avenge our mate!_' my beast growled at me, but I blocked its voice.

I cleared my voice and looked down at him, my decision clear.

"It is in my rights to kill you for stealing my mate. I can torture you for what you put her through. I can give you a world of pain that would have you begging for death in a matter of hours. I can break your body, destroy your spirit and annihilate your mind. I can drive you to insanity until you no longer know your own name. And I want to do it to you. You do not deserve to live; you do not deserve to be here." His satisfaction and hope increased dramatically and I knew for certain that he wanted, no, needed this. He wanted to finally end his existence and thought that now was the better way to do it.

"I can do the entire above, but I won't." I looked him in the eye smirking and my sneer made him flinch in fear. Panic, and then despair and fear flooded him and obliterated all the other emotions. He had wanted to die and now he knew that I would not grant him that mercy. Curiosity, anger and surprise were emanating from all around me now. The usual thing to do was to kill the offending vampire and be done with it. I ignored them. I kept my mind blank as I went to Aro and touched his finger. As I told him what I thought of doing his eyes lit in amusement and greed, happiness flooding him at the thought of me sparing him and having him in his guard – well at least until Edward completely lost his mind. And Aro's evident glee was enough for Edward to start fighting and roaring.

"NO…NO…KILL ME…KILL ME…." It took two guards to subdue him into the kneeling position all the while shrieking like a banshee as my plan unfolded in my mind for him to see.

He knew that he couldn't do a thing once he was in our clutches. My plan would be implemented and so would my revenge. We had talented members that would strip away his will to fight and would bind him to us as if we were the light of his life.

Oh, he would retain his personality and memories, but they would be useless, as the binding created a personality inside of him that would be eager to please those to whom it was bound. My grin almost split my face as I turned to face the screaming, poor excuse for a vampire that had dared to come between me and my mate.

"For the crime of trying to take my mate away from me, I won't kill you as it is my right. I will make you suffer for the rest of your existence. You will remember what brought you to your demise; you will torment yourself because of your choices and errors. I sentence you, Edward Cullen to be bonded in servitude to the Volturi for the rest of your existence in ANY capacity they do so desire. You will serve the race that you so despise. I hope that your loneliness and your punishment are enough for you to see that you are not superior in any way to any of our race and that you understand that you do not touch a vampire's mate unless he authorizes it." His screams of despair and horror must have made the wild life flee within a hundred miles radius. But, they were music to my ears. My mate too, was smiling through her tears, feeling avenged. He would be paying for her father's death in some way for a very long time, living a miserable life, where not even death was an alternative.

As I thought about the bond I let out a chuckle at the thought that his virgin days were numbered. His need to please his Master's would be at war with his morals and convictions. Incapable of breaking free of the bond or of betraying his new coven he would be completely ours and he would hate every minute of it. The bond of servitude also had a very physical component, a need to please that left the vampire very vulnerable to sexual advances. He would be someone's lover very soon, and the chance that any of his lovers would be female were slim to none.

In a flash I was behind him. I grabbed his hair and bent his neck backwards as I whispered into his ear:

"You will wish for death for the rest of your eternity, but you will never die, boy. You will live to see me happy with my mate, to see your father and mother serve the Volturi, and to see your family and coven destroyed. You will live to serve others and to see the loss of all that you hold dear. My revenge is complete." I relinquished my hold on him as I threw him onto the floor. I turned to the grinning Volturi guards, feeling their amusement and lust, as they approached. It had been a while since the guard had had someone bonded. They were eager to sample the new addiction. Edward was going to be a busy boy as soon as the binding was firmly in place.

"Now, take this filth away from here and have Chelsea bind him eternally to us." I watched as they took away a screaming and fighting Edward and was so entranced by the view that I almost missed the trial coming to an end.

The feeling of vindication and triumph coming from my mate, as she saw him being taken from the temple was what drove my attention away from the sight. After so much heartbreak and sorrow she finally had some sort of closure over the death of her father. As I looked at her face I saw, not a seventeen year old girl, but a mature woman, tempered by the hard steel of heartache, loss and grief. Her eyes held not the look of the innocent teenage girl from before. Instead they had a depth and an understanding of the world that could only belong to a much older person. They had the look that only belongs to those who have loved and lost in the worst of ways. And it was with a slight surprise that I really saw what my mate really was. She was all woman now; strong, capable, courageous and beautiful, with a darkness of her own, that I suspected that in a few years would almost match my own, that had been acknowledged and accepted, but that didn't dominate her spirit. Long gone was the selfless, naïve, simple girl, who forgave all the slights against her and that was insecure of herself and of her place in the world.

She had grown into herself as a woman, and in a few weeks she had become all I needed or ever wanted as a mate. And as I opened my arms to her and felt her love and devotion for me I knew that she was okay

A fleeting thought crossed my mind as I relished in Edward's fading screams. Alice's visions and manipulations, the ones that had started all of this fiasco, and had made Edward kidnap Isabella, had indeed made Bella despise and loathe him intensely as Alice had seen and Peter had predicted. Isabella's love and devotion to me was something like I had never felt before. And even if some of the circumstances of Alice's vision had changed, because of the tiny, individual decisions that each one of the people involved made, it had come true, as Peter had said. It had solidified my claim on my mate, it had brought us together sooner than expected, had made my mate let go easily of Edward, and it had accelerated the demise of the Cullen coven.

It had been like a self fulfilling prophecy, had she not revealed the vision to Edward, he would not have kidnapped my mate, the schedule of my plans concerning the claiming of my mate would have been maintained and the demise of the Cullen coven would have been postponed, my mate's father would have been alive and she would not hate Edward.

But in the end, all had worked out. I regretted and was sorry about the demise of my future father-in-law, but even that had made my life easier, it had freed my mate from difficult human connections and brought her into my waiting arms sooner. I couldn't regret this outcome, as I relished the warmth of my mate in my arms, her scent that soothed every pain and doubt that I had ever had, and her love for me that made everything I endured in life worthwhile.

**A/N** - Sorry about the long wait. School and family life took a lot out of me this year and I just had to take a break of a few weeks to rest and regain my energy and my writing mojo. During that break I have reread this chapter and decided to rewrite it as it was not to my liking. I hope that you like it. I thank all of you that kept sending me PM wondering about my well being and asking me to came back. All I can say is that I love all of you for your unwavering support.

Next chapter we will finally know the big secret behind Carlisle's fear and hatred of the vampire world and Bella will show Jasper just how much she is a strong mate.


	34. Chapter 34

I own nothing, everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer.

**A/N** **mama4dukes has taken over as my beta in this story, you all know who she is, so, go give her stories some love.** LetsJustDance is my pre reader and she also beta when she can and Mama4dukes is unavailable or I can't bring myself to disturb her. She is a very busy lady.

**The Warlord (uncensored version) Ad Vitam Aeternum (uncensored version) and Inevitable (improved and uncensored version) are also being posted in ****AO3 ****(archive of our own) under the same pen name.**

Chapter 34

The Warlord's Mate

**Jasper POV**

Several hours later we had said our goodbyes to most of the guests and only the Volturi, the Romanians, my brothers-in-arms and a few other trustworthy covens remained with us in the complex, as they had been invited to my binding ceremony. The Volturi wives were on their way and we expected them the next day. I was glad that they were coming, Isabella was curious about them, and they were literally jumping up and down in glee at the prospect of meeting my mate. Alice, as Marcus's most recent concubine, had yet to be seen, she was being kept in his quarters and not yet allowed to leave.

For what I had been told by Marcus she was feeling deeply regretful about her manipulations and wrong doings and was sincerely ashamed of her behavior, after having seen and felt the consequences of her actions. It was her interference that had caused Edward to kidnap my mate and kill her father. The fall of the coven that she had come to love as a family had been a huge blow to her and she had no one left in the world but the Volturi. She seemed to have accepted her fate as a concubine, the loss of her standing in the guard and my mating with Isabella. At least Marcus had told me that she had confided to him that she would do anything necessary to regain our trust, and that he had felt no deception on her part.

She had sent a message to Isabella trying to explain her actions and asking for her forgiveness, but Isabella had refused to read it. As far as we were concerned it would be a long time before she was allowed to be in our presence or life for that matter. We chose to rarely even acknowledge her existence.

Marcus reeked of her every time we met and he had just come back from visiting with her, a smirk on his face and a sated atmosphere around him. It had been a while since I had felt him this relaxed and I was happy for him; it seemed that this arrangement was working well. She would not replace his Didyme, but would make his life more interesting. The only time I had been near their quarters I had scanned her emotions and felt nothing but regret, resignation, longing, sadness but also a certain feeling of satiation and a little contentment. She went into this relationship with her eyes wide open and knew exactly what would happen to her liberty and independence, it would be hard for her but once she came to terms with her new life, she might even find a certain level of happiness with Marcus. He was not a cruel man…she could have gotten much worse punishments for her crimes.

Currently, Peter, Emmett, Eleazar and I together with our Masters, were lounging comfortably in my living room, drinking one of Peter's blood-drink experiences, an especially good blend of A-positive mixed with a fifty-year-old scotch. Marcus, Aro and Caius liked it and immediately asked Peter for the formula. We were taking this relaxing time to speak about the state of the vampire world. Things were moving into place and I felt like I finally focus on my binding with my mate. Bastien had just landed and was incarcerating Victoria for me to handle later.

Carlisle and Esme were in their cabin, getting their affairs in order before moving to Volterra. Edward had been put back in his cell after having been fed and healed to the best of our abilities. His empty eye socket had been sealed so that he wouldn't weaken due to the venom loss, but he was now permanently disfigured.

His arm that I had permanently damaged in the fight had been removed again and reattached in a way that allowed him to be function, but he had almost no feeling in that hand. Chelsea was already with him, working her gift and destroying his resistance. Unlike the rest of the guard his bond would not be temporary. At the same time he would be taught about our world, costumes and traditions. I think that even though he despised the boy, Aro wanted to make him a productive member of our race, but he would always be bound as a servant.

I couldn't care less! He was no longer a threat and if he ever tried anything ever again he would be dead, that's the end of that story.

A big part of my mind was on my mate. She had been elated with Edward's sentencing, even though she was not aware of the true nuances of the bond or its consequences. As I went to accompany my guests to their planes, my mate, Charlotte, Carmen and Rose had gone back to the house to spend a quiet time and to recover from the tension of the day. The four of them were fast becoming very good friends and I was happy for my Isabella. Alexis had gone to greet her mate, Bastien, and to spend some time alone with him, since he had just returned from the mission.

My attention was diverted from my thoughts as Aro addressed me.

"So Jasper, I am delighted with your little mate. She seems to have grown into herself these last few weeks. She is so mature and wise that I hardly believe that she is not even eighteen, and I must say that she is perfect for you; I saw a vicious, mean, vengeful little streak in her that I rather enjoy seeing in a woman. She is definitely your mate. " He stated happily and I could feel his appreciation and curiosity over my mate. Caius and Marcus nodded their agreement at his statement. I grinned at their words.

"Yes Aro, this whole ordeal changed her profoundly. The death of her father hurt her deeply; her kidnapping and abuse destroyed what was left of her naivety. The final stroke on her innocence was finding out the truth about our world, and Carlisle's lies and mistakes. She is much more mature than her age would suggest and she has been making me very proud."

"Ah, Carlisle, what a disappointment he turned out to be for us. What a mess he made of everything." Stefan sighed and sadness enveloped our previous joyful mood. I must have projected my confusion as Aro looked at his brothers and then at the ancient masters, seemingly having a silent discussion and at their almost imperceptible nods, stood.

"What I am about to say has been a secret for a long time inside the Volturi. A secret kept honoring our love for Carlisle and the good heart that we thought we knew, but at the same time it has been our greatest shame and regret. Only we, in the inner circle, are aware of the principal reason for Carlisle's profound distaste for our world." His emotions were also tinged with the same sadness that now had spread to all the Masters.

"We met him in the year 1698. He was a young vampire, with a passion and a view of the world that fascinated anyone who listened to him, humans and vampires alike. He was so young and naïve, with such a need to be a hero, to save people, to retain his humanity and with such a fascinating soul."

"His curiosity and intellectual thirst were a breath of fresh air in our old coven and he conquered us all. I remember as if it was today when he stepped on our doorstep in Volterra with his golden eyes, having heard of us from Alistair, whom he had met in England. He walked inside our throne room without fear, full of righteousness and firm in his beliefs. He had a Bible in his hand and he looked like a fallen angel, beautiful as sin, wanting to learn more about what we were and what our place in the world was, secretly hoping to convert us all to the animal diet as it meant the salvation of our souls. I loved him since I first laid my eyes on him." Aro stopped by the window and lost himself in thought looking at the lake whose dark waters shimmered in the late afternoon sun.

Marcus continued where Aro had left off a thoughtful, sad expression in his face.

"We welcomed him and stimulated his thirst for knowledge. It was with us that he learned all that he needed to survive in our world, our traditions and history, our secrets and laws. It was with us that he acquired an education. It was Aro who paid his way into the best medical schools in Europe and Asia and it was Caius who helped him to get internships with the greatest minds in the world at that time. He stayed with us for about twenty years."

"He was like a beloved annoying younger brother, full of enthusiasm, misguided ideals and morals, trying incessantly to make us see his vision of the world, and we took it upon ourselves to teach him, to show him that things are not always black and white, that there are shades of grey in everything and that not all sinners are evil and corrupted and neither all saints are good and pure."

"We had heated debates on religious, historical, ethical and sociological questions that lasted for weeks on end. We were acquainted with and frequently visited the biggest genius of that time and he tagged along, learning and enquiring about everything. Do not be mistaken, we still upheld the laws of secrecy but in those times we had not much to fear from humans, so we allowed ourselves to mingle more and to dismiss any suspicion about us not being entirely human as eccentricity." He smirked and the others laughed. I knew that at the time there were many more humans that suspected about our existence than now.

"It happened after one of our trips to Paris, in November of 1720," Stefan continued," we had the habit of leaving our domains from time to time to see the changes in the world and to visit old friends. We went to Volterra to say hello to our old friends and when we left the city a few weeks later, Carlisle asked to accompany us. He was intrigued by our history and he wanted to learn more about our coven and country, or so he said, and we welcomed him."

"We arrived in Romania a few weeks later. It was the end of January. Winter was at full force and he stood in the castle for weeks on end, learning our language and immersed in our old books and parchments, only leaving to go hunting, not mingling with anyone else besides us two. It was after one of those hunts that he came across one of our protégés. She was Cecilia Mari Patraescu, a distant cousin of the Ghica family of the House of Wallachia. The Patraescu family was part of the small nobility of our Transylvania and their patriarch was our bound vassal. Like all Romanians they secretly believed in the old traditions and legends and showed us the proper respect and submission, paying their tributes of protection and favor in silver, gold and silk, but also in servants and beautiful women."

"Cecilia had been one of those. She was sent to us as a concubine, in hopes that either Vladimir or I would mate with her and in doing so acquiring favor and protection for her family. She was barely sixteen, a savage beauty, with sparking black eyes, hair as dark as night and skin fair as cream. She was a bit too young for our taste, but already considered ripe and ready to be a woman, and I cannot say that we were not aroused by her as she danced in front of our entire coven. She was young but ambitious for power and eternal life and willing to be ours as she had been taught from a young age." Vladimir stood and bumped his brother's shoulder, both of them chuckling as their emotions took a turn to mischievous.

"Vladimir and I both enjoyed Cecilia very much despite her obsession with becoming immortal. We shared her and made her our first concubine for about two years before our interest in her charms dwindled and we were distracted by another beautiful and intelligent woman, more mature than her; she was, after al,l only one of many young women with the same upbringing and destiny."

"We didn't kill her once we lost interest, and we allowed her to stay with us until we found her a good husband as it had been agreed with her father, if she was not to mate with one of us. We hadn't decided about immortality for her, even though she had been with us for almost six years when Carlisle arrived. There was something unsettling about her, an odd coldness in her eyes that created an uneasy feeling when the topic of making her one of us was brought up. In time she became even more beautiful, a master in the arts of love and of pleasing a man, but also educated in the arts, science and philosophy, as well as dance, music and languages. She had a sharp intellect, and a quick tongue that enchanted anyone who talked to her."

"It was a surprise when a flustered Carlisle ran into the library one night, after having been gone for a whole day, saying that he had found a new friend. By the scent on his clothes it was evident to us that he had met Cecilia. We asked for no explanations as he continued his friendship with her and they became closer and closer. Carlisle, at the time, was a bit confused about love, as he was…" he looked at Aro, who smirked and nodded, smugness filling him,"… fresh out of Aro's bed, his first lover."

Wow…I never suspected Carlisle had been trapped in Aro's web. We all laughed, Aro loved sex, and his mate Sulpicia loved to watch him having sex with both men and women. Sometimes he allowed her to join. I had been there once. His reputation of being a demon in bed is well deserved. And to know that Carlisle had been his lover was…well…strange, to say the least. We were talking about Carlisle, after all!

"But soon after the start of his liaison with Aro and Sulpicia, guilt and remorse overcame him. He felt disgusted by his desires and needs. Confused by the pleasure he felt and ashamed of it. When some of the guards commented on his hot nights with Aro, he lost it. He felt dirty and disgraced, and wanted to run away from all temptation represented, at least in his mind, by Aro. We believe that is why he asked to come with us to Transylvania, using his thirst for knowledge as an excuse. His morals and religious background refused to accept that like all vampires he could desire and lust after a male, seeing it as a hideous sin, a dirty, hideous, shameless affair. "

Stefan continued. "Cecilia believed him to be easy prey and became convinced that he was her ticket to immortality. She took every opportunity she could find to try and seduce him. Carlisle, being confused about his sexuality, filled with guilt and self loathing, hating his needs and desires, managed to keep their relationship chaste. He hated his needs and desires, but he was completely besotted with her. In their secret encounters she painted us as horrible monsters that took her as a child and never allowed her to be anything more than a bed warmer, distorting the truth so that he pitied her more than he already did."

"It was a distraught Carlisle that came to us pleading for her freedom months later. He never openly criticized our way of life but we could see his displeasure and censure at our conduct as time went by. The open sexuality of our coven, particularly our means of securing beautiful, young women from their families, shocked him. Also our lack of Christian religious convictions disturbed him, so he was an easy and willing mind for her to manipulate towards her ultimate goal. He asked for our permission to leave with her, and that confused us. We knew that she wasn't his mate, so we denied his request."

"He was stubborn though, and his disapproval of us became more and more evident as the months passed. It was starting to put a strain on our friendship with him. His arguments for her liberation came crumbling down when we, tired of all drama, told him that we would allow him to leave with her under one condition: change her into one of us and take responsibility for her, as a companion, leading her into immortality. That was his breaking point. As much as he loved her and wanted her freedom he wouldn't turn her. He told us that he couldn't damn her soul and change her into one of the monsters that he perceived us to be and that, instead, he would be leaving in the morrow destined to the new world."

Vladimir continued the story when Stefan stopped and moved to join Aro by the window, his face stony and his emotions pained.

"We convinced Carlisle to go hunt to clear his head and we sent for Cecilia. A few days earlier, a loyal vassal of ours who lived in a remote, but wealthy town, had contacted us asking for help finding a good wife. He requested a young woman of noble blood, educated, intelligent able to bare him children and help him lead his people. So we decided to offer her that choice as she, by this time, was of age to be married and to have children. Being the clever woman that she was, she knew that if she refused we would have to end her. So she agreed to that marriage without much of a fight at all and, with haste, left our presence to prepare her things."

"Under guise cover of saying goodbye, she awaited Carlisle's return from his hunt. Having lived amongst us for as long as she had, she knew that this would be the moment the when he would be most aroused and wild, therefore, more vulnerable to his baser needs and she seduced him. Carlisle was inexperienced in the ways of loving a mortal and until then, their relationship had not been of a sexual nature. His virginity had been lost to Aro, a vampire, in his last year in Volterra and he been with no one since. Drunk from the exhilaration of the hunt, freshly fed and wanting to release the frenzy of sexual energy that the new blood coursing through our veins provokes, he was no match for a seductive woman versed in the art of pleasure and love. He easily succumbed to her advances. She made sure to enflame him so much during their copulation that in the throes of passion he lost control and bit her in several places."

"When he realized what had happened it was already too late to stop her change and he panicked. We rushed to see what the commotion was all about and found Carlisle, naked as the day as he was born, sobbing in a corner of his room. Cecilia was naked on his bed, undergoing her change alone. The smell of sex and blood permeated the room. It was obvious what had happened but it was too late to prevent it."

"Cecilia's change took ten days, the longest time of which we were aware. We never knew why. Ten days of agony for her and ten days of trying to help Carlisle come to terms with what had happened. By our law she was his childe. He was her sire and responsible for her at least during her newborn years. He was supposed to guide her and to teach her the ways and traditions of our race. He couldn't come to terms with what he had done and convinced himself that she was better off without him. He considered her a mistake and didn't want her as a companion since she was a constant reminder of his lack of control, his first taste of human blood, and of his sinful lust, in resume, of the monster that believed that he had become."

"After much encouragement he finally accepted his responsibility for her. He stated that they would leave as soon as she had enough control to travel. He insisted that he could convert her to drink from animals, as he couldn't consider the alternative, and that if they stayed with us she wouldn't have the necessary stimulus to change her diet. We tried to make him see that as a newborn she would be bloodthirsty and violent and that it would be better if they were in a coven. We knew that animal blood would not satiate her, but he refused to listen to reason. He insisted that he would take care of her on his own terms. It was then that we realized that he had no idea of what he was doing."

"When she woke up she was more unstable than a typical newborn. The ten day's change had made her violent, irrational and angry. She refused to hunt animals and attacked one of our protected villages before we could intervene. We would have put her to death if not for Carlisle's pleas. She played cruelly with her food before draining it and it only served to enhance Carlisle's idea that we were all monsters." Vladimir's anger was now almost physical and I sent his way a small calming wave to get him focused, but it was Stefan who continued the tale.

"A year after her change, we were ready to kill her. She was creating havoc amongst the human population and we had a difficult time containing her. We had told Carlisle that she was too unstable to be controlled or to live and that he had to terminate her. But Carlisle refused to have her final death on his conscience, feeling guilty about her lost soul and for making her what she had become. On the eve of the day that we were going to terminate her, he just picked her up and fled. We were worried. We knew that he couldn't control her as we suspected that the ten days change had driven her insane and we immediately contacted the Volturi to have Demetri find and terminate her."

"But she had the ability to escape from Demetri," Aro interrupted frowning, he hated when someone was able to deceive his tracker, "and was impossible to capture. We never knew how she did it because we never had any indication that she was gifted. For a whole year we only managed to follow her and Carlisle by faint trails and a more evident trail of corpses that she left in her path through Europe. The humans linked the carnage to savage animal attacks and rogue bandits. Even though mortified and filled with remorse, self-hatred and guilt, Carlisle stayed with her and still wanted to help her, believing that he could convince Cecilia to embrace a more humane way of living, attributing her crazy bloodlust to her newborn year. He stood by her despite her insanity, cleaning up after her as much as he could. In his defense I must say that he kept our secret at a great personal cost."

"He finally understood that she was beyond his help in Spain, when she decided to attack a small congregation that was gathered in the village church. She locked them inside, showing them that their Jesus could not save them…from her. Carlisle arrived too late and everybody was dead: men, women, children, from pregnant women to babies to old people. She didn't suspect a thing while she laughed and ripped the corpses apart to bathe in their blood until he ripped her head off and burned her to ashes. He burned the whole village and destroyed all evidence of the bloodshed before heading out to Volterra to be killed. He was well aware of his mistakes and unable to deal with the whole situation that he created."

Sighing heavily, Caius emotions swirled through disappointment, anger and weariness, but he continued the story from here. "Obviously, we did not kill him despite his actions and treachery. Aro read his memories and found him truly contrite and really didn't think that things would escalate so far out of his control. His regret, his attempts to contain the situation and controlling Cecilia, our love for him and his surrendering to our justice saved his life. He did clean up after Cecilia as efficiently as was possible and he prevented the exposure of our race. Her killing spree was attributed, by human authorities, to bandits, deceases- due to several plagues - and animal attacks. Only we knew better."

"We punished him for his actions, of course, by dismembering him and keeping him in the dungeons for a year, without feeding him. We could not make of him an exception of him and allow him leave unpunished. Many of the guards were aware that something was up with Carlisle because of our hunt across Europe for him, but only Demetri knew the whole case, and he had sworn secrecy. Carlisle never complained and when his punishment was over we handed him to Eleazar who was going to establish himself in the New World. Carlisle, ridden with shame, guilt, self-hatred and self-loathing, asked for permission to try to atone for his sins by using his extensive medical knowledge and training to help humans and we allowed it. We checked in on him from time to time, and he lived a secluded life, caring for the weak and the poor, making no effort to find more companions and keeping our secret. So, with time, we relaxed our surveillance of him and allowed him to find his path. It saddened us that he had cut himself off completely from us, and we only had knowledge of his life and whereabouts through Eleazar or the occasional nomad who crossed his path."

Aro took over the tale at this point, "he landed again on our radar in 1917 when he made his first companion, to most of our knowledge, Edward. In a brief letter he informed us of Edward's change and that he had taken him as a companion. His terms were so cold and distant that we suspected that our dear friend was a very different vampire from the one we had grown to love and that our friendship was possibly lost for good. The same procedure was repeated for each new member of the coven, a single letter informing of his other fledglings. We thought that all was within the norm even though the coven tried to live immersed within the human world. Only after the Medveyed tragedy did we realize that something was very wrong causing us to take action."

"I think that he wanted so much to be right about his choices that he became blind to anything else. His guilt over Cecilia and that whole sordid affair made him reject the vampire world, our costumes and our traditions. In the end all he did was cause history repeat itself. Maybe now he understands. I will certainly not allow him to continue to be a _vegetarian_." His emphasis on the word caused several snorts of amusement and groans of disgust from the vampires present." I will not turn him into a _killer_, per se, but he will follow our diet, nonetheless. It is time for his nonsense to stop. I order of you all, though, to keep this a secret" he looked pointedly at Emmet, Peter and me," it was after this mess that we became much stricter in our enforcing of the laws. Carlisle is our biggest mistake and the one that we regret the most. Our love for him got in the way of our laws, and has brought nothing but pain until now. It will not happen again!"

We all nodded our agreement. The emotional atmosphere hung thick and heavy with palpable sadness, disappointment and anger. There was an almost overwhelming sense of betrayal and incomprehension. You didn't need to be an empathy to sense it.

After the recounting of the whole story, my mouth was literally hanging open as was Peter's and Emmet's. I had never suspected anything like this from the so-called _Saint_ _Carlisle_. And I was privy to a lot of privileged information! The man who had been a moral beacon for most of our race for centuries, had sired a vampire after losing control of his lust, that he had broken the law and unleashed her on the human world only because he believed that he could bend and control her feral and predatory nature by trying to lure her to his diet. That he was so convinced of his beliefs that he turned a blind eye to the insanity of his childe and ignored all that the ancients tried to tell and teach him because he thought that if he had been able to control the blood thirsty beast inside of him so could others. And the saddest thing is that it seemed that he had not learned his lesson: His diet and morals have no place in our race.

He willingly unleashed a demon into the frail, helpless human world just because he didn't want to be responsible for the loss of a soul and he wanted to prove himself right. But the irony was that to protect her and his beliefs he allowed countless humans to die and that must have been unbearable to someone like Carlisle.

I could understand now why he acted as he did, why he kept his family almost hidden away, why he controlled every aspect of their life, and why he insisted so much on control, on humanity. Why he demonized all that we were, why he hated our world. To a man like Carlisle, driven by a profound religious nature, by a strong set of Christian morals and values added to a deep sense of humanity, to see, to witness, first handed, the uncontrollable urges of a newborn, the cruelty and insanity that sometimes marks our kind, our feral and wild nature must have wounded him deep and must have precipitated him into a hell of self loathing and hatred for what we are, for our instincts. From there came his deep desire to control our wild, bloodthirsty beast and to stay away from all those that lived with the traditional way, to stay far away from our race so that they could defeat their natural instincts and allow their humanity to came forward.

Although I didn't want to consider this very long, not it was important now, but what could have the newborn Edward, a Victorian boy of barely seventeen when turned, learned about himself as a vampire from his sire thoughts. What did he pick out from him about the race he now belonged?

I had a new understanding of things now. And in the end I pitied Carlisle. He would never be able to find peace in this existence if he loathed what he was, if he fought his nature every day. I could only hope that Volterra and the Volturi influence could help him a bit. If not, I would vote for his termination. It was of no use to permit his existence if all he did was to cause bloodshed of humans and death of misguided vampires because of his beliefs.

The conversation soon drifted away from all the drama provided by the extinct Cullen coven, all the men present needed to clear the air after such revelations. Around midnight the ladies, minus my mate, came down and Charlotte told me that Isabella needed to talk to me before going to bed. She dodged any further enquiry of my part, leaving me burning with curiosity. I said my goodnights to my guests knowing that Peter and Charlotte would keep them occupied and went up to the first floor.

My mate was waiting for me on the balcony. She was a vision in a green satin night gown that hugged her body in the most delicious way and that managed at the same time to keep her modesty and innocence. As usual, seeing her in our quarters, were she belong stirred the primal beast inside of me. My mate was with me, she was mine, and she carried my scent even though she had showered. But most of all, she loved me with all her human heart and soon would be mine for eternity. I was the luckiest vampire alive and even my beast purred at the sight of her.

"I was waiting for you. Did you have a good time with the others?"She asked softly while she walked into my waiting arms. I basked in the feel of her warm body in mine before sitting down in my arm chair with her on my lap.

"Yes, my dove. It was rather nice. You did so well today. I am so very proud of you. I wish you could have felt the emotions in that temple. You proved yourself as strong as any vampire, my Isabella. You are worthy of all the respect and admiration you received for your strength and dignity. You have gained many admirers today." She smiled shyly at me, happiness warring with sadness inside of her.

"I felt everything that I said. I needed the closure. I needed the closure for my father. I needed to speak for him. I will never forgive Edward for what he did and I am overjoyed that he gets to have eternity to regret it. Now I can move forward, his killer is being punished and I can heal. My dad would have wanted that."

"He would Isabella. He was a good man and he loved you so much." We stayed quiet for a while, simply taking comfort from each other as only mates can.

"Alice wrote me a letter. I don't know if you know, but Marcus gave it to me. I can't deal with her now. I can't read it. I can't find it in me to deal with the Cullen's…I am so disappointed with her and with Carlisle. It will take time for me to be able to speak to her and I will not forgive her, and as for Carlisle, how could he? How could he preach one thing and deliberately lead everyone into a life of lies? He thought Edward was better than anyone, he was his golden boy, and he could do no harm in his eyes. Maybe one day he may earn my respect again but for now..."she just shook her head her eyes filling with tears.

"Carlisle's reasons are his own, my mate. He will have the time, now that his so-called family is destroyed and his credibility is in shambles, to think about things and to try to adapt, to adjust to being a vampire. The Volturi will lead him onto the right path. He already took the first step when he chose to go to Volterra to protect his mate, knowing full well what was to be expected of him. Esme will help him. She will be a force to be reckoned with as the wives guide and teach her, you will see." I kissed her head as she snuggled closer to my chest. I heard the soft whispers coming from downstairs.

"Marcus and the others send their regards and wish you a good night. They will see you in the morning when you go to meet the wives." Her peaceful emotions changed immediately to anxiety and worry.

"Oh, they are coming! I had forgotten! My God, they are queens, real queens! Oh, my God. We are getting married, well, vampire binding that is…and… and there is so much to do yet, and what if they don't like me?"She almost screeched, making me wince at the high noise, her emotions circling her like a hurricane and her heartbeat fast.

"Isabella, stop that," I chuckled as she bit her fingernails furiously and I had to sent her some calming and relaxing waves,"they are dying to meet you since I first told them about you. They love you already from all that they have heard of you. They have wanted to see me mated ever since I went to the Volturi and you will see that there are both quite nice and normal. I think that you will find them quite similar to Carmen, both are very kind, wise and elegant women." I kissed her forehead as she calmed. One day I would tell her of my past lovers, of the complexity of my affair with Caius and of my nights with him and Athenadora, of Peter, who had been a lover but now was as dear as a brother, and of my affair with Aro and Sulpicia, but not now, it was a private thing, my story to tell when I decided to tell it.

Anyway, it was in the past, there hadn't been anyone else in my bed since she accepted me. And if there would be someone in the future it would be with her knowledge and consent. Even if now it was very hard for me to even think of another male near her, Caius always says that '_eternity is a long time to be monogamous_'. For now, however I was perfectly content in having only her. As much as she was mine I was hers.

I only had more diversified tastes and my mind sometimes wondered!

"As for the binding ceremony don't worry. Everything is ready. Everything will be alright. We will bind and then we will change you next September, on your birthday." I frowned when her emotions went on a rampage again. Anxiety, determination, longing, love, worry, a little bit of fear circling wildly. What was going on with her?

"Bella? What is going on? You're feeling…"

"I wanted to talk to you about my change. I have been thinking and….I talked to the girls…."

"Yes, and?"

She took a deep breath as if to steel herself.

"Jasper…Charlotte told me that that it is customary in the bindings to exchange venom, that the ceremony includes the vampires biting each other's neck to mark one another…and…hum..sex…"She choked the last word out and blushed furiously, causing my throat to burn, in answer. Embarrassment flowed freely around her and she was so red that she made me laugh. In some ways she was so innocent still.

"Yes, my Isabella. The marking of each other's bodies with their teeth is the equivalent to exchanging rings in the human world. Although I will give you a ring too…"I smiled at her as she peered at me through her lashes. The things that that shy look did to me, made me shift her from her position," and the marking is usually followed by the claiming, in which the couple manifest their love physically and the female is marked definitely by her mate, acquiring his scent definitively. Only then the mating is complete and the binding is eternal."

"But us…"

"It will be a bit different. You are human. I can't bite you to mark you and the final claiming will have to wait…" she interrupted me, full of strength and determination"but that is it…I don't want that. I want it to be complete. I want it to go through every step, just like any other vampire couple. "I looked at her in confusion. We had talked about this. As much as I wanted to I couldn't complete the binding as it was unknown what my semen, loaded with my venom would do to her. Our best guess is that it would trigger her change because the tearing of her hymen would open a wound and a direct access into the bloodstream. She seemed to see my confusion because she continued, firm and determined.

"Jasper, what are we waiting for? For me to be eighteen? It is just a number. I will never be eighteen, Jasper. I am way older. I feel way older. I feel so much. I feel like I have lived a lifetime. I want it to end now. I was never the child; instead I was always the adult. I took care of my mother and of my father my whole life. I know more about duty, sacrifice and responsibility than people much older than me."She kissed me softly and I was speechless, her determination and strength were something I only had seen in Rose and Charlotte. Seeing that I didn't object she continued.

"I love you and I want you, Jasper. I need you. I am tired of waiting. I am tired of being the weak human. I want to be like you. So I thought, if I am going to get married I want to do it the right way, not a mockery of the real thing, done because I am only human. I want to embrace this world fully. I want you to change me in the binding." I scanned her emotions to see if she was serious, but all I could sense was determination and resolve. How far she had come from the insecure girl of Forks. But I needed to clarify her demands.

"But I thought that you wanted to wait a while, be older, and have some experiences as a human…"

"What experiences Jasper? I am already completely immersed in your world, and honestly I don't want to go back to the human world. It holds too much sorrow and pain for me. It only reminds me of what: I lost my father, my mother, friends and life. No. There aren't any experiences that I want to have as a human that I can't have as a vampire." Maybe she saw some skepticism in my face or she felt my hesitation because a bit of anger slipped in.

"I won't change my mind Jasper. It is my life, my body. They are mine and only mine and it is up to me to decide my fate. I know that in this world of yours males are all dominant. But I am here with you Jasper and I get it that your race is made of old vampires, most of you born in times were women were held barely above a pet, and your vampire instincts are so strong that you need to assert your superiority. And I know that it is hard for you to understand that even though I am young and human I have my own mind and I am not a dimwit. I know what is best for me. I know what I want. I am sure of my choices. I love you, God, how I love you, I am yours body and soul, and I promise you that I won't keep secrets from you; neither will I do something without talking to you first. I promise to always listen to your opinion and to respect it, but you must do the same. I am the woman that loves you, and will commit herself to you for eternity but I am also my own person. All I ask of you is your respect and support."

As she talked I observed her fierceness and I understood something. Times had changed, and even though my instincts as a vampire and my upbringing as a man demanded the submission of my mate to me, I could understand that for human women of this time and age a life of submission to a male would be a nightmare. This was a new thing for me, not many of us had mates born in this time. But maybe we could find a compromise, a way to make it work without crushing her spirit. Even though when she was changed much of her independence would fade, as her natural instincts would rule her, I could still honor her intelligence and wisdom by listening to her and by providing her with the ability to choose. Maybe I could start now walking this undiscovered path.

"I wasn't going to talk you out of it, Isabella. I just want to be sure that it really is what you want. There will be no turning back. The change is a one way ticket to hell and pain will be your constant companion. Afterwards you will live in a world were bloodlust and rage will make you wish for death. You will have to learn everything again. How to walk, to run, to breath, to dress and to write. You will have to learn how to control yourself and your body. You will have to learn how to deal with the loss of humanity and to live a life separated from the human world and from the human race, always in the sidelines, forever apart, never participating. You will have to learn how to deal with a life span that extends literally through eternity and find your happiness in it. You will have to create your own moral standards because you will prey on the weaker race and the morals and ethics of your former life won't apply anymore, lest you drive yourself insane. You will have to learn how to kill and destroy and to be okay with it. Do not underestimate my knowledge or concerns my mate. You may come to regret that decision, if you take it without being absolutely sure." I kissed the tip of her nose, but tried to convene the seriousness of the situation. She put her hands gently on both sides of my face and looked at me with so much love and adoration that I shivered.

"I am sure. I have thought about this, I know what I am getting into. I have asked the girls and thought about their experiences and how their life was. I am informed. I am making an informed decision. I want it all Jasper. I am sick of being human; I am tired of being afraid, and in pain, of being weak. Take me away from all this death, my mate. Give me a new life, give me your world; give me an eternity by your side. Love me and change me and let's begin our path together."

"Yes, my mate. Tomorrow." Was all said before I crushed my lips to hers sealing our pact.

A/N - Well, we are almost done. One more chapter to go. How about our Bella? I think that she grew a backbone and gave Jasper something to think about. Maybe she can change things a bit for females in this vampire world. And who knew that Carlisle had been such a naughty boy…hummm?

Next chapter - she meets the wives and they prepare the wedding. And well…I have some wicked ideas for Bella and Jasper binding. And I give you a small preview (please remember that it is unbetaed, so please forgive the many mistakes)

"The moon stood high in the sky as I saw her came down the torch illuminated path. Her naked feet crunched delicately the thousands of fragrant flower petals that covered the path. She wore a simple white dress that exposed her neck and chest generously, but elegantly, the bodice hugged her upper body, and flared in a lovely way to her knees, she was the epitome of grace and beauty; her hair was down, flowing down her back and in her head a small crown of incredibly small white rose buds. She wore no jewels, no makeup, and no perfume. She was the most beautiful …"

I hope you like it and until then, thanks to all of you that took the time to review and to PM me. I try to write as fast as I can but the muses are not always in the neighborhood and as you know school is about to start so my time will be reduced, but I will keep on writing, even if it is only a paragraph here and there.


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